


The Lily of the Valley

by ishpeekable



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Adults, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe- Working as adults, Ambiguous Relationships, Best Friends, Bisexuality, Canon - Manga, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Family Fluff, Feminist Themes, Flashbacks, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Future Fic, Heartbreak, Homosexuality, Hospitals, Light-Hearted, M/M, Medical Professionals, Minor Character Death, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Pets, Romance, Sexual Equality, Sexuality, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Zuka Club
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:40:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 60,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24456841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ishpeekable/pseuds/ishpeekable
Summary: There's an African proverb that goes 'If you want to travel fast, go alone. If you want to travel far, go with a friend'. He was described as a calm deep ocean that went beyond what the eyes could see. She was like the sunlight that filtered through the leaves of trees that reached the darkest corners. When two opposing elements converge, one can only imagine what happens next.
Relationships: Amakusa Benio | Benibara/Maihara Chizuru/Tsuwabuki Hinako, Fujioka Haruhi/Suoh Tamaki, Haninozuka Mitsukuni/Kanazuki Reiko, Hitachiin Kaoru/Original Character(s), Kasanoda Ritsu/Yasumura Mei, Ootori Kyoya/Maihara Chizuru
Comments: 12
Kudos: 18





	1. The Beginning

Whenever she opened this door, she wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The first time she opened the door, she was greeted by a set of knights. The next instance she opened this door, she saw men dressed in gowns. In all honesty, she was curious with what she would see this time around. She placed her hand on the ornate renaissance style door handle that lead into the unknown. Chizuru looked at the box she was holding. She hoped that the recipient would find the contents satisfactory.

"Please wait a moment, my princess we're still not -" a certain Host King was at a loss for words.

There it was. The uncomfortable animosity towards her. The suspicious stares from a pair of twins and the unreadable expression that hid underneath those glasses. She knew that they didn't start with on the right foot.

"Chizuru!" A pair of familiar hazel eyes greeted her.

Chizuru walked towards Haruhi as she briefly greeted the other hosts. She handed a box filled with books, photographs, essays all written by Kotoko Fujioka herself. It wasn't much but she hoped this would give Haruhi more information about her own mother.

When the Zuka Club brought her to St. Lobelia to perform, Haruhi and Chizuru spent a few moments backstage and they were able to connect well with each other. If there was something they had in common, they were both raised by a single parent.

"What's this?" Haruhi's voice was uncertain. The last time she got a gift from Chizuru, her father lost his mind. She gave her more than enough clothes to wear for the next two weeks.

Chizuru smiled until her dimples showed. Her usual calm demeanor was gone since couldn't hide her excitement. "Open it."

With a sense of caution, Haruhi took off the lid and she had a pensive expression. Haruhi looked at all sorts of photos of her mother years ago. There was an essay Kotoko Fujioka wrote about the value of a Japanese woman in society. It even had a sketch made by Haruhi's mother in art class.

"You remembered." Haruhi was at a loss of words with what Chizuru gave.

"Our mother's have the same birthday. How could I forget?" Chizuru took a deep breath. She looked briefly around her surroundings and let out a small laugh. Her body would have already vaporized with the stares from the other hosts. "I should get going. It looks like you guys are about to start soon."

"You should at least stay for some refreshments." Kyoya offered. He couldn't let the vice-president of the Zuka Club leave just like that. It would look bad on their end. He asked Haruhi to prepare a cup of tea and some biscuits.

Kyoya didn't see the need to check for competition outside of Ouran, but he's done his research on the three pillars of the Zuka Club shortly after their first encounter. Maihara Chizuru was a self-proclaimed feminist. She was the eldest daughter of Yukio Maihara, a prominent figure in the export of Japanese made products to other countries. They had several travel agencies that catered to foreigners going on local tours. Her parents separated when she was just four years of age due to a mistress her father kept. His father was a close business partner of their family as well.

"I must apologize for their behavior, Maihara-san." Kyoya pushed his glasses as he continued to pour some tea.

Chizuru bit her bottom lip and tucked her hair back. "It's fine, Ootori-san. I can see where they're coming from. I apologize for Benio's behavior back then as well."

Tamaki peered carefully from the back of the couch. "Kyoya, why are you acting this way towards her?" his suspicion loomed in the air.

"She came in here with a gift for your daughter. As her father, you should treat our guest with some courtesy." Kyoya pointed out.

Tamaki had a sudden change of mood and sat beside Chizuru. He started giving her all sorts of sweets until the table piled up.

"Tamaki-senpai, that's enough." Haruhi looked at the mess she would have to clean later. "Sorry about that. They can really get on your nerves."

Chizuru took a bite with one of the eclairs Tamaki placed. "It's fine. I hope what's happened between us can be something we can set aside."

In all honesty, Chizuru didn't find the thought of a Host Club as unappealing. It was how she saw a princely idiot pretending to be a knight that infuriated her. She can't blame the Host Club for having such notions. The savior complex men had annoyed her. Japanese men were conditioned to believe they had a certain authority over women. They grew up thinking that was the right thing to do. Women don't need others to save them. They can save themselves.

"Are the eclairs not to your liking?" Kyoya said as he offered her a glass of water. "We have other things we can offer like a raspberry chiffon cake."

"They're actually quite good, Ootori-san." Chizuru replied. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Chizuru was described as a young woman whose ideals that were too unconventional. That notion puzzled her. How was equality between men and women unconventional? Wasn't equality a basic right? Weren't Japanese women tired of being seen as the lesser sex?

She looked at the man who sat across her. He on the other hand, was a man who upheld society's standards to the dot. The most unconventional thing he's done was to run a host club.

"The Host Club was Tamaki's idea." Kyoya said as if reading her thoughts. "He thought of the whole concept. I just make sure things run smoothly."

Chizuru straightened her back. No one has ever read her so accurately. She always kept a lot of her thoughts to herself, so how did he see through it? Like a moth attracted to a flame, she decided to let her curiosity get the best of her. That was the first decision that started it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I really really want to hear your thoughts. I'm going to jump into the unknown with this.


	2. The Present

Maihara Chizuru sprinted down the lobby as she heard the news. She was lucky that she was within the area so being called in for an emergency procedure was no problem.

One of the nurses ran to her direction. "Maihara-sensei, the patient is an 18-year-old female. Approximately on her 34th week of pregnancy. She went into labor because of multiple physical injuries due to assault."

Chizuru bit her lip. "Domestic abuse?"

The nurse nodded.

Chizuru clenched her fists as she ran towards the emergency room. The other doctors on duty called saying that the mother's condition was critical. She was unconscious and suffered a seizure an hour before she was brought to the hospital. Just a few moments ago, the mother suffered from cardiac arrest.

"Prepare the operating room." Chizuru tied her hair. "Call anesthesiology and say we're performing an emergency cesarean section."

"There's a VIP patient in there." The nurse notified. "The patient is still having irregular labor contractions, but the medical director insisted that they cannot be disturbed."

The former Zuka Club member took a path different from what others expected. Everyone thought she would get into performing arts, but she found her calling. Here stood a 30-year-old woman who specialized in pediatric obstetrics and gynecology. One of the top surgeons of Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital, the primary hospital of the Ootori Group.

She chose a field that resonated with her principles. Most of her patients were victims of domestic abuse or rape. Chizuru worked relentlessly for women's rights since Japan was still a highly patriarchal society.

Chizuru closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It's no problem. That's my patient. Surely, they'll understand the urgency."

Chizuru changed into her scrub suit and went to the VIP patient. She knew the VIP patient very well. It wouldn't be hard to ask Haruhi Suoh to move to the labor room for now. Tamaki insisted on keeping her under close monitoring. She had her own nurse and another doctor was placed there to keep track of everything. It also didn't help that she was a close friend of Kyoya Ootori. The whole situation was excessive.

When Chizuru entered the room, the sound of classical music was playing from the Bluetooth speakers. She saw all the Hosts wearing matching scrub suits as they watched their princess go into labor. The two medical personnel sat stiffly in the corner. They weren't used to dealing with VIP patients yet.

"Haruhi, does it hurt?" Tamaki held his wife's hand.

"Not really." Haruhi said as she read her book. The labor pains weren't that painful, and she could still manage. If anything, it was her husband who was more worried about the situation.

"Ootori-san, may I have a word?" Chizuru called the attention of the most rational person in the room. Speaking to Tamaki at this point was useless. The poor man looked like he was going to explode anytime soon.

Kyoya nodded and waited for the doctor to explain why she was out of breath. Maihara Chizuru was always poised regardless of the situation.

"We need to transfer Haruhi for now. She's not giving birth anytime soon. We have an emergency patient who needs the operating room." Chizuru said as she tried to catch her breath. "It won't be long. I just need an hour and a half at the most."

"Alright, I'll tell Tamaki." Kyoya's calm demeanor hasn't changed. "I apologize for the trouble we're causing."

"No one's complaining." Chizuru stretched her arms. "Your family owns the hospital so it's a privilege."

It was a good thing that Kyoya Ootori wasn't as irrational as his other friends who refused to transfer Haruhi out. Chizuru explained the situation and Haruhi scolded them for being self-centered. The pregnant woman stood up and walked to the labor room where she was originally placed.

"You'll save her, right?" Haruhi asked.

Chizuru nodded. "I'll make sure the case lands with your firm. Men like those need to be taught a lesson."

Haruhi Suoh became a lawyer who represented individuals who were at a disadvantage in society. Plenty of Chizuru's patients became her clients as well. It was an uncanny friendship that started off in the wrong foot, but they found a solid common ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm writing this based on the manga. I don't own anything from Ouran.
> 
> I wanted to have a different approach to the usual OHSHC fics. To be honest, I really wanted to explore more on the Lobelia girls. I was inspired by the last chapter of the manga when writing this. I wanted to put to things I loved. Medical series and Ouran. Also, I wanted to write down a setting I've never seen before.
> 
> This story is mostly set 12 years after the manga. I love portraying the hosts as adults. The fic will be a mixture of the past and present events that I'll try to put together nicely. lso, I see so much Zuka Club hate and I really want to go somewhere to explain their stance. It's socially relevant since it's about feminism. I'll be tackling a bit of feminism with this fic. Expect it to be on the mature side. Lastly, I've never seen any ouran fic with Chizuru as a main character so I wanted to touch the untouched.


	3. The Fork in the Road

After moving to Boston with the rest of the Hosts, Kyoya realized his predicament. There was something that ate his conscience up. He was lucky enough that Haruhi and Tamaki were returning to Japan.

"I'm staying." Kyoya broke the news with the rest of the Hosts.

It came to a shock to his friends when he decided to stay behind. Everyone was going back to Japan after one year of studying overseas.

"Ouran has an exchange program with one of the Ivy League schools." Kyoya rationalized. He needed more experience to get further. He can't put himself back in his comfort zone for now. He needed growth.

Sometimes, growth entails a lot of sacrifices. That was the script he told everyone. What people didn't know was it was mostly so he could clear his mind.

There was a word for the emotion he felt but refused to acknowledge. Jealousy was too strong of a term for him.

The more he saw Tamaki and Haruhi's relationship blossom, the more it hurt. He wasn't sure when his feelings for Haruhi started, but he became painfully aware of it by the end of their second year of high school. He thought that going with his friends to Boston would stop his feelings, but it only grew worse.

He was careful with how he acted with the two. He couldn't let his selfish desire ruin what was unfolding even if he knew he could. The friendship he formed with Tamaki and Haruhi as separate individuals was far more valuable than his feelings. Even if he knew this it didn't make things easier.

He watched his friends unpack their things and leave their rooms. What was once a bustling hallway of chaos was now silent. A distant image of Hikaru and Kaoru running down the halls came to his mind. Kyoya spent the next two years studying overseas in peace.

However, two phone calls were all it took to bring Kyoya back.

The first call he got was good news.

"She said 'yes', Kyoya." A familiar voice sobbed. Finally, Tamaki has decided to move on to the next step.

It sent that familiar feeling of resentment and jealousy. Emotions that he's tried very hard to get rid of.

The second phone call was something he wasn't expecting.

"It's okaasama, Kyoya. She's not going to make it. Yuuichi-niisama is in critical condition." Fuyumi spoke in between sobs.

A wave of dread hit Kyoya in a way that he's never felt before. He felt his throat dry up as his sister broke the news. He knew it was time to go home.

* * *

Funerals had a way of draining energy out of the living. Kyoya wore his suit and bowed politely as one guest visited after another to pay their respects. It was almost too convenient that the Ootori Group now offered funerals in the hospital grounds as well. Making the entire process much easier for families who experienced such a loss.

Kyoya took a few moments to wash his face hoping to get some sense into his system. He felt like he's been going on auto-pilot for the past few days. He heard all sorts of comments the moment he arrived.

"To think Yoshio Ootori lost both his eldest son and wife in the accident."

"At least he still has two capable sons to run the business."

"Who will inherit the business now?"

It was wrong to think that Kyoya and his siblings were on bad terms, but it was also wrong to assume that they were extremely close. It didn't make the burden he carried easier though. He lost a brother and a mother.

All it took was a drunk trunk driver who swerved on the highway which hit the car his mother and brother were in. His mother died on the same day she was brought to the hospital. Yuuichi passed away a few days later. It was frustrating on their part as a prominent family in the health sector. No matter how much power, influence, and resources they had, they couldn't even prevent this from happening.

"Kyoya, are you okay?" Tamaki approached him carefully. His hand was on Kyoya's shoulder the entire time.

"Yes." Kyoya answered out of rote. He didn't feel anything at this point. He just felt numb.

The Hitachiin twins never left him alone for the rest of the day. They trailed after him wherever he went. All the hosts took turns in watching over him. There were plenty of flowers from the other families that expressed their concern.

Kyoya sat on the chair in the corner closest to his mother and brother. Hikaru and Kaoru were fast asleep in the back. There weren't much visitors at this time since it was already 2:30 am. He volunteered to keep watch that night since the jetlag still kept his waking hours out of sync. Fuyumi, Akito, and his father left so they could rest. He thought it was weird since he felt more resentment as he saw the ring on Haruhi's finger.

"Ootori-san, I'm sorry for your loss." A woman with long wavy brown hair bowed. She was wearing a white coat and the standard Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital scrub suit.

Kyoya was about to dismiss their employee with the usual reply until he saw the name on the coat. A small smile found its face to his face. He didn't expect this turn of events.

'Maihara, Chizuru'

Kyoya bowed politely. Following the customs set. "Thank you, Maihara-san."

Chizuru looked up and sighed. Her lips were pressed together. It doesn't look like she's slept or even taken a bath. She handed him a can of instant coffee. If there was someone who understood what he was going through right now, it was Chizuru. She didn't say anything to him after that. They drank their coffee in silence.

"Do you want to go to the roof deck?" Chizuru asked as she fiddled with the half empty can of coffee in her hands.

Kyoya nodded. He did need a bit of a breather. "Let's go."

It was a symbolic gesture for them. In a way, she was just returning the favor.

* * *

When Chizuru was about to end her life as a second-year high school student, her younger brother died. Not a lot knew she had a twin brother. Of course, her family did everything to hide the news that his eldest son had severe cerebral palsy.

It was a consequence she faced. Her father wanted a son to inherit the business, but by a stroke of luck destiny, or karma, Chizuru was born first.

All it took was 45 seconds. It took less than a minute to create a consequence that lasted a lifetime.

Her brother couldn't sit, eat, or do anything by himself. As Chizuru grew up, she saw her younger brother confined to a wheelchair. Unable to process what was happening around them. He died because of severe pneumonia.

The Maihara family worked closely with the Ootori family. Yoshio tasked his youngest son to watch over the eldest daughter since her brother was admitted at the ICU of their hospital. When Kyoya arrived, he was thinking he would see a lot more people, but only one person stood in the waiting area.

Chizuru looked at her brother from a distance. She placed her hand on the glass that divided them.

Kyoya stood beside her. He watched the eldest son of the Maihara family fight for his life. He hasn't said a word. For the first time, he wasn't sure what to say. There were no rules or guidebooks that had a step by step guide for situations like this.

"Otousama acted like he died the moment he was born." Chizuru clenched her fists. "When okaasama refused to divorce him because of his mistress, he said that he wished I was the one who was born later."

Kyoya took a deep breath. That sentiment explained a lot. Chizuru's parents were separated, but they weren't divorced. Chizuru's mother refused to let her husband move on.

"Should I have been born later? That way my brother wouldn't be in that kind of condition. Maybe it wouldn't have strained my parent's marriage." Chizuru sighed again. One sigh followed another. Each one was longer than the previous.

"Imagine how he felt when he found out I was dating a girl from school." Chizuru had this spiteful laugh. She kept her composure, but her voice broke.

On that summer night, Chizuru's brother passed away at exactly 11:11pm. Kyoya watched Chizuru sink to her knees as they pronounced her brother dead. He did the only thing he knew that cheered up others when they cried. It was a technique that worked for him as a host.

Kyoya went to the closest vending machine and got a can of coffee. When he got back to the waiting room, Chizuru was still in the same position.

"You must be thirsty." Kyoya handed her a cold can of coffee and a small packet of tissues.

Chizuru wiped her tears and accepted the gesture of goodwill. "Thank you, Ootori-san."

With the somber mood, they sat in the dimly lit hall in silence for the next hour. There was no sign of anyone else showing up until Kyoya heard his father speaking to the Maihara patriarch from the distance. Considering Chizuru's state, he decided it was best to bring her somewhere private.

Kyoya carefully helped Chizuru stand and offered his arm which she refused. It was a reaction he was expecting anyways. He walked a few steps ahead of her, so he constantly looked behind him to make sure she was still there. He led her to the employee staircase that lead to the roof deck.

By the time they got to the top, the late summer breeze was the first thing that greeted them. Chizuru watched the lights from the buildings that surrounded them. She leaned against the ledge and watched the cars and people continuing on with their lives.

The more Kyoya observed Chizuru, the more he saw something familiar. It was an expression he had before. He knew ambition when he saw it. He also knew the look of dissatisfaction all too well.

"I'm not sure if my words will have any bearing now." Kyoya crossed his arms as his back leaned against the ledge. "But you sure do give up easily."

Chizuru stared at him. "What did you just say?"

"You look as if you're completely dissatisfied with your situation. I assumed you were more ambitious than that." Kyoya looked at her briefly.

Chizuru clenched her fists. Her composure finally broke. "Someone like you wouldn't understand. I wish I was born a man so I wouldn't have to keep on proving myself."

Tears now flowed freely as she glared at Kyoya. "You have an easier chance of succeeding because you're a man."

Kyoya remained calm despite her outburst. "If you want to prove your father wrong, go ahead and do so. The one that's giving up and not doing anything is you."

Kyoya never imagined that Tamaki's words to him a few years back would help someone else. He watched Chizuru stand there in shock. She realized her situation and she wiped her tears quickly. The young lady in front of him took one deep breath after another.

When she finally calmed down and regained herself, she looked at Kyoya. "Shall we head back?"

* * *

The two found themselves in a similar situation once again. The last time there were here they were merely 17, but now they were 21 years old. There were a few changes with the setup though, the ledge was slightly higher so they couldn't lean on it like before. Luckily, a few benches were setup for those who needed the solitude.

Kyoya sat down and took a cigarette from his coat and let the nicotine calm his senses. He offered a stick to Chizuru who politely refused the offer.

"Aren't you going to scold me for smoking on hospital grounds?" Kyoya asked in an attempt to make a joke of sorts.

Chizuru shook her head. "I'm going to cut you some slack. You've had a bad day."

"How did you find yourself here?" Kyoya asked after he took deep breath.

"Remember when we were here the last time?" Chizuru pressed her lips together. "It really helped me, you know. I decided I wasn't going to do whatever business my parents were doing. I wanted to help people like my brother."

Kyoya took off his coat and closed his eyes. "What year are you in now?"

"I just started my 4th year of medical school." Chizuru placed her hands in her pockets. "It's tough, but I really like what I'm doing. How about you? I was half expecting to see you at the Ouran Medical Track."

"It's not for me. I'm currently taking my degree in business administration with a minor in accounting." Kyoya stared at the office buildings that stood across them.

"I heard from Haruhi you were studying overseas." Chizuru stretched her back and leaned against the chair. "Where do you go exactly?"

"Harvard." Kyoya answered like he was just giving her the time of the day.

Chizuru was shocked. Getting into Harvard was much more difficult when you were an international student. To think that Kyoya was also doing a double major degree. She clapped her hands slowly. "You're really setting the Ootori bar high."

Silence engulfed them again. The last time they were in such a situation, she broke the silence, but now Kyoya was doing all the talking. Chizuru noticed that people who grieved talked a bit more than usual.

"Do you think I'm odd?" Kyoya asked out of the blue. It wasn't like him to blurt something out like this.

"Odd?" Chizuru raised a brow as she slowly faced Kyoya. "I guess you can say that. You've been so composed the entire time."

Kyoya had a short laugh. It was almost mocking. Bits and pieces of himself that he locked up were spilling. It must be the grief that's making him lose his control. "You know, I felt worse when I found out Tamaki and Haruhi were engaged compared to when I found out I lost my mother and brother."

"It's also a loss in it's own way." Chizuru sighed. "Not that it's relevant with your feelings, but who did you like?"

"I'm straight." Kyoya defended.

"Okay, okay." Chizuru blew her cheeks. "There's no need to be so defensive. You could have been bisexual for all I knew."

Kyoya shook his head. It was like he forgot who he was talking to. Of course, she would clarify such things. Chizuru looked at him briefly and they found themselves trying to keep their composure. They were both laughing at this point.

"If it helps, I understand your situation perfectly." Chizuru said with a princely bow. "Imagine being an innocent 15-year-old who fell for your classmate. I followed her around like a puppy. I even joined the Zuka Club for her."

Kyoya didn't think that Chizuru liked Benibara in that sense.

"She ended up falling for our underclassman. They became an official couple a when Hinako graduated from high school." Chizuru crossed her arms. "At least you have other friends who aren't couples."

Now that was even more surprising than the first news.

"It's fine. I got over it." Chizuru stood up and started stretching again. She started touching her toes and doing all sorts of warm up exercises.

"You wanna get a drink after your shift?" Kyoya asked. He was surprised with the words that came out of his mouth.

"What? Are you pitying me now?" Chizuru looked at him pretending to act all suspicious. "Are you glad you found someone in a worse situation? Shall we form a 'failed first love alliance'?"

The two were laughing againt at this point. They were far too tired to keep up with appearances. Besides, a 'failed first love' alliance does sound like a good deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I don't own ouran.
> 
> Also, I really want to know your thoughts. The plot is pretty straightforward. It's more of a slice of life sort of thing now. No hidden agendas or ploys. It's reality with a twist. I'm trying to keep the chapters short and sweet. the problem with my writing is I go on non-stop which was the main complaint of other readers hahaha
> 
> I think it's nice for Kyoya to have a new friend. Don't you think?


	4. The Bond

Kyoya bowed as he escorted one of the VIP guests out of the hospital. His first official job with the Ootori Group was to implement a new management system starting with their main hospital. He was in charge of operations team. His father personally asked him to oversee the trials. It didn't take long until he'd be transferred to another branch once they finished with their main hospital.

As Kyoya walked back, he saw a familiar woman walking down the lobby. He walked just a few paces faster than usual to catch up to where Chizuru was.

"I was wondering when you'd get out of the delivery room."

Chizuru cringed while she sniffed her uniform. "I know. I wanted to leave. I smell like placenta already."

Kyoya stopped himself from making any looks of disgust, but there was a distinct smell that faintly made itself felt. There were some things he was better off not knowing. Chizuru answered her phone as she gave instructions to the junior doctors. She has more responsibility now since she was a second-year resident. The stressed-out doctor continued to give her instructions as they walked towards the elevator at the end of the hall.

"Are you going up?"

Chizuru gave a thumbs up as she continued to speak on the phone.

Kyoya pressed the elevator button. Chizuru's sighs of frustration were heard. Other patients who were passing by started looking at them so Kyoya had no choice but to bow politely to those who's attention was directed at the frustrated doctor.

"Was it a busy night?" Kyoya asked. It was just eight in the morning, but it looked like as if Chizuru's been working for the whole day.

"Yeah." Chizuru sighed and ignored her phone as it rang again. She pressed the elevator button multiple times as if doing so would make it show up faster. "I need to take a bath now."

Kyoya was replying to a few messages and Chizuru shook her leg in annoyance. All she wanted was a shower. Her uniform already dried up hours ago. Only kami-sama knew what else was inside the specimen bottle that fell on her.

Finally, after six long minutes the elevator doors opened. Chizuru went inside first she turned around and had no choice but to make a decision. Kyoya was about to step inside the elevator as he continued to look at his emails. But for some unknown reason, Chizuru gave him a 'gentle push' out of the elevator. He was too shocked with what just happened. No one has ever treated him with such impertinence.

"What the-" Kyoya's polite expression morphed into something dark. His eyes looked like he was ready to murder someone.

"Take the next one. You'll thank me later." Chizuru stated she ignored her fear. She pressed the button that closed the elevator doors and placed the side of her hands on the door. She blew on the glass doors until a pocket of mist was formed and drew a heart.

Kyoya thought she must have lost her mind at this point because she had the nerve to wink and give him a flying kiss after drawing a heart after shoving him.

"Kyoya-sama!" A woman with an unusually high-pitched voice greeted.

Kyoya turned around slowly and mentally cursed his situation. He placed on the infamous mask he kept and smiled politely at one of the girls Fuyumi was setting him up with.

* * *

"As long as there's wine, you're mine."

Kyoya pretended not to hear the monstrosity of a pickup line he just heard. He went inside Chizuru's office. He watched her spin around her office chair. All sorts of documents were on the table and cabinets. He was expecting to see another person there, but no one else there except a block of cheese in Chizuru's arms.

"Is that Caciocavallo Podolico?" Kyoya sat down on the couch and placed their lunch on the table. "Where did you get that?"

Chizuru rolled her eyes as she looked at the newly appointed Chief Operating Officer of the hospital. "From the VIP ward you forced me into. If only I knew it would take all my free time, I wouldn't agree to it."

He spoke wryly as he opened the freshly delivered ramen noodles from the newly opened restaurant across the hospital. "The VIP ward is just five additional rooms and you're not the only one assigned there."

"You're giving me too much work already." Chizuru complained as she held her cheese close.

Kyoya ignored her request split the takeout wooden chopsticks. His wide smile was menacing. "Yet look at you. At the age of 30, you have your own office and a personal parking space. A feat that cannot be accomplished without a hint of nepotism."

Chizuru gave up. There was no point with arguing with Kyoya. He always had the last say. "Pass me the bowl please."

"Only if you're inviting me for wine and cheese." Kyoya said without looking at her as he ate.

Chizuru stood up from her office chair and sat beside Kyoya. "As if I have anyone else to drink with."

The two ate in silence. It was an odd friendship between them. Kyoya started working for the Ootori Group soon after graduation. His first job required him to move to different branches, but now his father assigned him to the main hospital.

"Is this from the new ramen place?" Chizuru held the bowl close to her face and indulged.

Kyoya nodded as he handed her a tissue and pointed to the spring onion stuck on her cheek. "You don't have a date with…what's his name again?"

"Tetsuya?"

"Yes, him. The one that always wore a baseball cap." Kyoya recalled vaguely. The man didn't really leave much of an impression to be properly committed to memory.

"We broke up a few days ago." Chizuru sighed. It wasn't a big loss. "He was seeing someone at the same time. He told me right before I went to work."

"I told you he was a pompous." Kyoya's condescending tone always hit home.

Kyoya found out shortly after their newfound friendship that Chizuru was bisexual. He thought she was a homosexual. It was a topic that went to a full-blown lecture with all types of sexuality. All sorts of terms such as homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, allosexual, sapiosexual, and more. It was something he didn't think he'd need to learn but considering the changing dynamics in society he was glad he took the lesson. There was no such thing as too much knowledge.

Chizuru let out a sigh. "How about you with Erina-san? Weren't you guys supposed to go on a vacation or something?"

"She cancelled it." Kyoya drank the ramen broth and wiped his face like a true gentleman. "She said she wanted to find true love."

Chizuru's face scrunched up. "That's the third omiai your father setup, right?"

"Yes, but it was nothing serious. I was informed beforehand that we were doing it just out of courtesy." Kyoya took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was relieved when she broke the news. I felt like I was babysitting more than anything."

There wasn't much of a lie with that sentiment. The woman was nineteen years old. Kyoya turning thirty-one this year so there was something off with the whole arrangement already.

The two finished their lunch and sighed. Alas, they were once again single. It's not that they weren't able to maintain relationships because they were problematic. They simply worked too much and were too engrossed in their hobbies.

"Are you going to Renge's wedding?" Chizuru stretched her legs and slouched.

"Yes." He looked at his phone. "That's the second wedding this month."

"I'm going." Chizuru had a mischievous look. "Who would have thought those two would end up together?"

There were plenty of mysteries in the world. All sorts of unexplainable facts and natural phenomenon dawned to mankind. That also included how Renge Houshakuji was getting married to Umehito Nekozawa.

"You're too nosy." he raised a brow and lightly scolded her.

"Excuse my natural curiosity, but it's called rapport." she sat up regally. "There's a reason why a lot of patients go back to the VIP wards and there's a high rate of patient satisfaction with my department.

Kyoya didn't say anything. It was true. Maihara Chizuru was the ace of the obstetrics and gynecology department. She had the natural talent of making patients open up to her. It didn't just extend to patients, but to the staff and other doctors as well. Wherever Chizuru went, she always had a friend in the nurse station, doctors lounge, staff room. Maybe it was that talent of hers that got him into her world as well.

"What time are you going home?" Chizuru asked as she took one of the documents from the shelf closest to her. She had to prepare for the case presentation in two weeks, but she was still too lazy to do anything.

"Hopefully not too late." Kyoya looked at his watch. He had his work cut out for him, but it was still manageable. "Did you take the taxi again?"

Chizuru nodded as she browsed through the case she was reading. "My car will be fixed by next week."

"Do you have any procedures later?" Kyoya stood up and straightened his clothes.

"No. Just my clinic then I'll check up on the VIP ward."

"I'll wait for you then." Kyoya offered. "I'll meet you at the main entrance then."

* * *

Kyoya's apartment wasn't too far from the hospital. It was a 30-minute drive without traffic. Far enough for him to breathe, but close enough that the commute wasn't bothersome.

Since he's now an adult, the dynamics were now slightly different. He didn't have an excessive number of bodyguards around him. The Ootori Private Police force was able to develop a new system that still ensured their safety.

"I knew it there was something suspicious." Chizuru said as she opened the door. "Really, a new car?"

Kyoya didn say anything. He had a thing for compact SUVs. Besides, the newest model of the Audi Q5 came in midnight black.

"You can just ride with me on the way to work." Kyoya mentioned in passing as he made a u-turn. It made more sense since they lived in the same apartment complex. Their units were literally beside each other.

"There's been a lot of emergency cases lately. Yesterday I had to go back at 1:00 am then I went home by 4:00 am only to have another patient calling me by 7:30am." Chizuru said as she tinkered with the sound system. She tried to connect her phone, but to no avail.

Kyoya controlled the radio from the button on the steering wheel. His phone was connected anyways. The soft Shibuya Kei music played. Chizuru was tapping along to the beat.

"Did I ever tell you that I thought you were a classical music sort of guy?" Chizuru laughed at her own words. It was almost preposterous. No one expected Kyoya to be into the indie, alternative and R&B genre. What's an even bigger surprise was how he was such a sucker for old songs. He was quite the audiophile. Luckily, Chizuru shared the same taste in music.

The worst was Honey and Tamaki who were into bubblegum pop. Kyoya wanted to gouge his ears after driving out of town with them. It felt like the longest trip to Karuizawa.

* * *

Chizuru scrubbed her hands vigorously as she prepared for another round of surgery. She was being unusually sentimental that day. It usually happened when she attended weddings.

_"Suzuran, I'm glad you found something to love in me. You give yourself up too much and leave too little."_

Chizuru scrubbed the small gap between her nails until all she covered everything. She held her arms up and entered the operating room. The nurse helped her put on her surgical gown and gloves.

_"My maiden, I'm sorry but I cannot return your feelings. My heart belongs to someone else. I can only hope you find someone who treasures yours as well."_

The patient was already sedated and ready for the scheduled procedure. The young girl was merely sixteen, but a mass was found on her ovary. The imaging suggests a malignancy and it was spreading. It encroached on the other ovary as well.

"Good afternoon, doctors." One of the nurses went through the protocol. "Our primary surgeon is Maihara-sensei. To be assisted by Takaoji-sensei. Today's procedure is a Total Abdominal Hysterectomy with Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy."

Chizuru positioned herself beside the operating table and thanked the nurses. All she could hope was the tumor didn't stick to all the wrong places.

* * *

Kyoya's coat and tie hung neatly on the back seat. On the other side were Chizuru's belongings. He had no choice but to bring her shoes, bag, and make up kit since she had to work that morning. He messaged the other hosts that he was on his way to the wedding. He typed the address of the wedding on the GPS as he waited for Chizuru to get of the hospital. It was going to be quite a drive. Thankfully, there wasn't much traffic on a Sunday morning.

"Sorry about that." Chizuru looked like she just came out of the shower. Her skin was still flushed from the hot shower. She was putting on her more formal jewelry as she sat down.

"It's fine." Kyoya started driving. The wedding venue was a two-hour drive from the city.

The drive to the venue was scenic. They passed through the coastal road. Chizuru stared out the window and sighed.

"The surgery didn't go well?" Kyoya broke the silence. Through the years, he's learned to differentiate the sighs she always did. There was a slight change with the tone, length, and amount of air for each emotion.

"It did. I got the tumor out."

Another longer more resigned sigh was let out. Kyoya could only guess the results weren't what she hoped for.

"I had to take out her uterus. The tumor engulfed both fallopian tubes, ovaries, and it was stuck to her uterus. I tried to preserve what I could, but I had no choice." Chizuru explained. "She would need cancer treatment and would stop school. She'll never have her own children. It's like as if I felt like a part of her died."

Kyoya switched lanes and went to the nearest gasoline station. As they gassed up, Kyoya went down and walked to the convenience store. Chizuru watched Kyoya hold two cups of coffee as he walked back.

He was always thoughtful. He paid attention to the people around him and took note of details that otherwise went unnoticed. He was a scary boss though. A lot of employees fear him since he was so thorough. Nothing escapes him. He was also a lot nicer than what he let on. He was ruthlessly objective and strict. No one did a better job than him though.

Also, Kyoya was picky with who he befriended. He always maintained a certain distance with those around him.

"I added two packs of sugar already." Kyoya handed Chizuru the warm cup of coffee.

"You didn't have to." Chizuru bowed her head as a form of thanks.

"You're going to sulk until we get there. I need you to talk so I can stay awake." He replied dryly. Being awake by nine in the morning on his day off wasn't something he looked forward to.

Chizuru finally figured out the Bluetooth radio of the car and started playing songs by Clair Marlo. She glanced at Kyoya's and saw contented expression as he drove. Lighting tapping the steering wheel in accordance to the beat. He was a big fan of the artist and even had limited edition and autographed vinyl record of her 'Let it Go' album. A mark of a true audiophile. She couldn't help but sing at this point.

Kyoya's lip twitched upward slightly. "I know your mother is a devout Catholic, but must you act like one of those people who you see dancing and singing passionately at church?" A vague memory of Chizuru's mother bringing him along to church suddenly surfaced. He had no problems with religion and the like, but people just asked questions that were too personal he went out at the first chance he got.

"I love this song." Chizuru exclaimed as the next song started playing. She turned the volume up and started air drumming to the beat.

Kyoya briefly saw the title on the console 'As Lovers Go by Dashboard Confessional'.

* * *

The venue was spectacular in a weird otaku and black magic cross over. That explains the black and midnight blue dress code the couple requested.

"Is this a funeral or a wedding?" Chizuru whispered to Kyoya.

Kyoya pushed his glasses and shrugged his shoulders. The number of candle in the area was practically a fire hazard. A welcoming committee of people in hooded capes was the next thing they saw. They could only assume it was the groom's family greeting the guests.

"Beelzenef welcomes you."

The two bowed politely. Kyoya recognized the Nekozawa patriarch and paid his respects. Chizuru went on ahead and saw Hikaru run towards her direction. The look on his faces was enough to say that it was just as unexpected as things could get.

"I didn't think Renge could turn that weird cat puppet into a moe collectible." Hikaru's puzzled expression dominated as he looked at the Beelzenef plushie display.

"It's kinda cute." Chizuru had a strained smile as she examined the plushies.

"Where's-?" Hikaru was about to ask where Kyoya was, but he knew already. He's grown wiser through the years. "Wait, that's a stupid question. Of course, he's out there mingling with other people."

For people of their social standing, weddings, funerals, and even birthday parties were political gatherings. Their circle wasn't a large one. Most old rich families knew each other. Events like these was where Kyoya thrived. He liked playing these games. It got his adrenaline running in a different way.

Chizuru looked around for any familiar faces. She was far too honest of a person to engage in such activities. She actually went to parties because she was friends with whoever invited her. She wasn't the type to have any hidden agendas. No ulterior motives.

"Where's Kaoru?"

Hikaru gestured towards the mobile bar. Kaoru held the hand of his long-time boyfriend. Naoki Minamoto's family owned a lot of properties around Harajuku. The two looked absolutely smitten with each other. They walked towards the couple and broke their peace.

"Chizuru!" Naoki greeted her with the Spanish custom of cheek kissing. He wasn't Spanish, but he claims to be a person who likes to adapt to all sorts of customs.

"How are you Chizuru?" Kaoru smiled at her. The smile quickly turned into a look of worry bordering distaste. "You look ghastly. I mean, you still look great, but you look overworked."

"It's the season babies come into this world." Chizuru's lips formed a fine line. "It's 9 months after Valentine's day. There's a surge nationwide."

The four of them found their designated table and waited for the others to arrive. Chizuru went around and greeted classmates from Lobelia and Ouran University. As usual, people asked her where Benio and Hinako were. She gave the usual answer that they weren't in the country. Benio's last update to her was their temporary relocation to Brazil for few months.

"My fair maiden." Tamaki's smile grew. If there was something that didn't change, it was how he craved the attention of every single woman in the room.

"Hello, Tamaki." Chizuru linked her arm with his as they walked back to their table. She wasn't sure how it happened, but the Host Club adopted her little by little. It started with regular lunches with Haruhi while they were studying at Ouran University then somehow, she was sucked into the group.

"What did I do right today that a blossoming flower such as yourself, graced me with your presence? How has life been treating you?" Tamaki's flirtatious speech hasn't changed one bit.

"Absolutely wonderful." Chizuru drawled.

Chizuru learned to love Tamaki's way of speaking and his entire essence. In a way, she spent more time with Tamaki and Ranka watching chick flicks before she started working at the hospital. It was an activity Haruhi was thankful for since she could study in peace.

"How's Haruhi doing?"

"She's staying home for today." Tamaki suddenly remembered his loneliness. "The strain of childbirth has taken it's toll on my beautiful wife. I must thank you for the flawless procedure. Haruhi said there isn't much discomfort."

Haruhi gave birth about a month ago. Chizuru saw Haruhi last week during her follow up checkup. Both mother and baby were in good condition. There was just a bit of problem with the breast-feeding technique.

"Tama-chan! Chizu-chan!"

The two greeted Honey, Reiko, and Mori. The two more quiet companions of Honey greeted them with a simple nod. They weren't the type to smother anyone with attention, but that was compensated by Honey by at least three-fold.

"Chizu-chan, that's a nice dress." Honey beamed. He tried to twirl the much taller woman as her dress lightly followed the movement.

"Thank you, Honey-senpai." Chizuru twirled once more for him. Wearing an Oscar de la Renta dress was always a good idea. If she had a guilty pleasure, it was clothes, shoes, and bags. She loved it when people took note of what she wore.

Hikaru and Kaoru waved at the five of them. Kyoya was already seated with them. By the time they got to their seats, the black hooded ushers asked the guests to take their seats. The ten-course menu was neatly placed in front of each seat.

"The wedding feels more like Nekozawa-senpai's personal touch." Hikaru commented absentmindedly as he drank some gin and tonic.

"Ohohohoho"

Hikaru had to swallow his words shortly after his statement. The sound of an unseen powerful motor was heard and out of nowhere, the bride and groom rose from the ground. The two stood on top of a circular platform and greeted everyone. Renge was in a Gothic Lolita styled wedding gown. She looked like one of those popular characters from Akihabara. Nekozawa looked exactly the same with his cape. They could only hope that he was wearing a suit underneath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: All the songs and artists I mentioned is actually on youtube and spotify. There's actually a shibuya kei playlist on spotify. I highly recommend you listen to it. I'm thinking of making a spotify playlist and I'd share the link here in the next few chapters. Then if there are any medically inclined people reading this fic, I'm sorry but my main resource is webmd so there might be some inaccurate information. All my medical knowledge is found on webmd and the numerous medical series I watch. Hopefully this chapter wasn't too wordy.
> 
> Also, I don't mean to offend anyone who sings and dances at church, but for those who enter those places for the first time it can be a bit shocking.
> 
> Terms
> 
> Placenta: where the baby gets nutrients during pregnancy. I read from medical forums that it has a certain smell and I'm glad I have no idea what that is.
> 
> Total Abdominal Hysterectomy with Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy: basically means to remove both ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the uterus.
> 
> Malignancy: cancerous
> 
> Lastly, I want to know your thoughts. It's my only motivation now since I got laid off my job. hahaha I'll let your reviews, likes, and favorites fuel me for now. I also fixed the summary of the story. The first one didn't feel quite right. Hopefully this one's much better.


	5. The Vacation Part 1

There was a full moon on the day of Nekozawa and Renge's union. There wasn't a cloud in sight. Wedding was situated near a cliff that faced the sea. The Nekozawa family claimed it was a property of ominous dark energy. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks, rustling of the leaves in the nearby forest accompanied the chants the black magic club members were doing. The smell of incense lingered in the air as one lantern was lit after another. A faint orange glow superimposed on a night sky.

The Nekozawa family and other members of the Black Magic Club started a ritual by placing the couple in the middle of an incantation circle. Their voices were harmonizing as they recited the spell to grant the couple a good fortune for their marriage.

Hikaru and Kaoru looked uncomfortably at each other. It felt like the start of a mass murder scene. Tamaki and Chizuru already finished their newly refilled glass of wine. The rest of the members of their table didn't have much of a reaction.

"This is quite a unique celebration." Tamaki stifled a nervous laugh. There was no way he was sleeping well tonight.

The candles went out one by one. All the guests were swallowed by the darkness with only the faint moonlight as their guide. In an instant, what was dark became light. The eerie setup up was transformed within a split second to what one would describe as an otaku paradise.

The servers took off their capes and revealed the costume underneath. Each played a character from all of Renge's favorite shows and games. It was a sea of cosplayers.

Chizuru snapped out of the spell she was in. She didn't notice that she was gawking at the fine specimen that stood just a few feet away from her. Their table's server was dressed as a military officer. Her blonde hair, dark blue uniform, strict persona, and pistol was a familiar sight. Chizuru fell in love with that character the moment she watched that movie.

Kaoru, Naoki, and Chizuru were in paradise.

"Look at those topless guys." Kaoru sighed. "They're from that show about competitive swimming, right?"

Naoki nodded. "Even those guys in volleyball uniforms…kami-sama help us."

"Kyoya-senpai, you should have dressed up as…." Hikaru snapped his fingers a few times trying to recall the character that brought Renge to Japan. "Miyabi from Uki Doki Memorial!"

Kyoya pushed his glasses. He tried to hide his exasperation considering the occasion. "That would hardly be appropriate."

Tamaki and Kaoru started laughing. Somehow, the dark magic setup seemed a lot more normal than what was happening now. The glaring neon lights, loud music, and otaku culture engulfed them. It's like Renge brought Akihabara in it's full glory.

From Kyoya's peripheral vision, he saw two attendees apologizing for their late arrival. Feelings of spite and general irritation sparked within him. He glanced at Chizuru wondering if she's noticed, but it would be best if she didn't.

Yukio Maihara was a man with quite the presence. He made Kyoya and Tamaki feel small in terms of size and they were not lacking in height. He had a solid build for someone his age. He was what others described as burly. A man of his physique was quite uncommon for Japanese nationals. The man walked to his seat with his mistress clinging to his arm. Purposely, passing close to their table.

"Well, if it isn't my daughter." Yukio's arrogance could power an entire nation. For those who personally knew Chizuru's father, it was no surprise that she came to resent men.

Chizuru slightly bowed her head without saying a word.

"Aren't you going to greet Izumi?" he said mockingly at his own daughter. As if bringing a woman a few years older than your own daughter wasn't enough of an insult.

Chizuru said nothing and smiled politely at the heavily made up woman that looked down on her. "Chizu-chan, I've heard so much about you. I hope we can get along well."

Kyoya stood from his seat and intervened. It was one of the rare occasions that he had to look up at someone. "Maihara-san, how are you?" He charmed the couple away purposefully leading Chizuru's father away from the table.

"It's a good thing your parents taught you good manners, Kyoya-kun. It seems like my _wife_ failed on that aspect." The man continued. There was an emphasis with how much spite was added.

Chizuru took a deep breath. Her hands clenched her dress. Within seconds she smiled. "I wonder what they're serving for the next course."

Honey glanced at Tamaki. The first time the hosts encountered Chizuru's father, you wouldn't notice anything wrong. In front of the public, he appeared to be an amiable family man, but he was nothing like that of course. The fact that Yuzuru Suoh kept his distance from the man said something as well.

"Chizu-chan, are you okay?" Honey placed his hand on hers.

Chizuru nodded. Quickly dismissing the events that just transpired. "I apologize you had to see that. Maihara-san tends to hold grudges."

The fact that she refused to address Yukio Maihara as 'otousan' showed how much worse the situation was getting. Currently, her own father sees her as a threat. There were rumors that Chizuru's grandmother was thinking of passing the responsibilities down to Chizuru. Besides her father, Chizuru was the only viable option left.

Ayame Jounouchi tousled her curls as she scoffed. Her voice was dripping with irritation. "Maihara-sensei, what's that man doing here?"

If there was someone who hated Chizuru's father more than Chizuru herself, it was this woman. Ayame Jounouchi was working at the Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital as part of the Internal Medicine Department. She was a classmate of Tamaki and Kyoya. She used to come in second place for their grades, but since Tamaki was a natural genius, things didn't look up for her. She even tutored Haruhi a few times when she didn't make it to first place.

However, it wasn't her grades that made people remember her. It was how fast she can talk in a single breath.

"Ayame-chan, it's not worth our time, really." Chizuru laughed nervously. She's learned to ignore her father. She's been doing it since he left them. "Don't give him any satisfaction from our displeasure."

Chizuru knew why the fellow doctor hated her father. The man practically insulted Ayame's competence as a doctor. Questioning her capabilities because she was a woman. As if being a man would let you become a better doctor.

Ayame didn't hide her displeasure. "He brings an F-cup vixen and has the nerve to this part. After he makes a fool out of everyone in the hospital including Ootori-san himself. How dare he show up with such shameless behavior? He's acting no different from a child throwing tantrums. The audacity he brings wherever he goes is astonishing." The woman stopped and took a deep breath.

It also gave everyone else in the table time to breathe.

"You're right. He's not worth our time." Ayame crossed her arms.

Ayame walked back to her table with the other Host Club regular customers. They were one of the closer friends of the bride. Her frustration radiated throughout the table.

"Ayame-san could start a rapping career. Why did she become a doctor?" Hikaru whispered to Chizuru.

"I told her that several times, but all I got was a rap sermon with how she just expresses herself quickly." Chizuru laughed nervously.

Hikaru and Kaoru decided to go to the next table where the furious doctor was seated. Everyone's caught up in their own lives. It was rare for them to see all their classmates in a single event. Weddings were kind of like reunions now.

"Momoka-chan! How are you?" Hikaru and Kaoru greeted simultaneously. Putting their arms around her just to spite her boyfriend, the scardy cat president of Class A.

Momoka Kurakano was Haruhis loyal customer and classmate. She was the class vice-president back in high school. Her boyfriend, Kazukiyo Soga, blushed. He's been dating Momoka for years, but he's never had the courage to do something bold. They've held hands and such, but the thought of taking their relationship to the next level scared him. He wasn't ready for something as intimate as making out.

"Oi, aren't you going to tell us off?" Hikaru teased.

Kaoru blew the back scardy cat president's ear which caused the poor man to shriek. The twins were having too much fun. Fortunately, they've slightly matured from their devilish schemes and knew when to stop teasing.

"Y-y-ou guys haven't changed one bit." He was flustered as he pushed his glasses up. Why did he always find himself in dark magic related situation with the twins?

Momoka curiously looked at the mobile bar where Kyoya stood with the burly man. "I thought Kyoya-sama was friends with Maihara-san. The man's-."

Ayame couldn't stop her feelings now. "A two-faced demon who smiles and waves at strangers yet has the nerve to treat his family like trash. I don't know how Maihara-sensei tolerates it. It's almost unbelievable. It's not ethical to keep ties with someone like that. He practically demanded for a divorce which his wife still won't give. At this point, I'm not sure how Maihara-sensei is able to keep her work-life balance with that kind of environment."

The Ayame Jounouchi effect was enough for everyone to feel suffocated without saying a word. Everyone in the table took a deep breath for their sanity. They couldn't help but agree to her statements which were nothing but the truth.

Kasanoda scratched the back of his head. He didn't completely understand why old rich families needed such drama. He was lucky to be in a yakuza where the dynamics were different. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think Ootori-senpai means well."

He knew how it felt to be judged so easily. Having a scary face had its fair share of prejudice. When everyone else, saw Kyoya entertaining Chizuru's father, he saw that he was driving the man away from Chizuru.

Through the years, the third-generation master of the Kasanoda-gumi, the most powerful yakuza group in the Kantō region, has developed a certain level of experience. He was constantly surrounded by men like Yukio Maihara. Different version and even men who were worse. Yukio Maihara was all talk and no bite. You can easily tell what it was they wanted. The truly scary ones were the enemies who never presented themselves outright. Their intentions and actions can't be predicted. Even in high school, Kasanoda knew that Kyoya Ootori was someone to not be made light of.

Momoka realized her misjudgment. "Kyoya-senpai is really something. I wonder how he always finds himself in the company of someone so energetic."

After all, Tamaki was Kyoya's first best friend. They thought that the two would be inseparable, but even they had to part ways. It came as a surprise when they saw the previous member of the Zuka Club around the man. Chizuru was nothing compared to Tamaki's energy, but she had her fair share of outbursts.

"Don't tell me you don't know that infamous tale?" Hikaru leaned against his chair.

Kaoru closed his eyes pensively. "Yes, that was quite a life changing experience for them."

The suspense was enough for everyone in the table turn their full attention to the Hitachiin brothers. They were like an oracle who provided answers to all. They each sipped their own glass of gin and tonic.

"How did they meet?" Momoka asked. She sat on the edge of her chair. Everyone else was dying to know. Kyoya never publicized his life so insider information like this was what kept the Host Club regulars afloat with the flames of moe.

The twins closed their eyes dramatically and held each other. "The two met like star crossed lovers."

"Like Romeo and Juliet?" Kasanoda's confirmed. It was the only thing that came to mind. It was the only movie with the term star crossed lovers. He watched with the boys back home.

Hikaru almost spat out his drink. The thought of it was repulsive. "No, no, no. Nothing like that at all. "

Kaoru held his brother's hand. "Unfortunately, we're not like the old Hitachiin brothers. We've matured now. It's best of you ask the two personally. We don't condone such gossip."

The Hitachiin brothers have changed without a doubt. Their mischief has transformed into something else. It was a darker and more subtle action now. They loved getting people on edge then just leaving them. They smirked to themselves as they left their schoolmates with a curiosity that demanded to be fed.

* * *

"I'm so sorry you have to be here, Jounouchi-sensei. I'm not confident with operating this patient without an internist monitoring" Chizuru apologized. She tried to identify which structure was which.

"It's nothing. She's our patient initially and somehow an ectopic pregnancy happened." Ayame Jounouchi sighed as she looked at the patient's blood pressure. With the bomb Hikaru and Kaoru dropped at Renge and Nekozawa's wedding last week, she had to ask.

There was nothing but silence. It was a critical operation considering the patient's condition. The beeping of the heart monitor and the sound of the medical equipment being used was the only thing heard.

"How's our vitals?" Chizuru turned her head slightly towards Ayame's direction.

"So far so good."

"Ah, thank goodness." Chizuru sighed. This was a delicate procedure. One mistake could aggravate the patient's underlying condition. "Takaoji-kun, suction please."

The young intern stood up and cleared the surgical field with passion. He never thought he could assist in such a case at his level. It was his final day with the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, and he was able to be part of such an operation. What was even more amazing was how composed Maihara-sensei was. It was a complicated case, but she's breezing through the whole procedure.

"Takaoji-kun, do you know what happened to this patient?" Chizuru asked as she started dissecting one section of the abdomen from another.

"The patient is a 38-year-old female, known case of Chronic heart failure, who was diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy two weeks ago." He said with conviction.

"What's did you say, Takaoji-kun? Pretend I'm the patient's relative. I don't understand those terms." Chizuru said.

"Uh…" The poor intern was placed on the spot. "We're operating on the patient right now because she had an unexpected pregnancy. The baby didn't stick to the ideal part in her uterus and it stayed at the fallopian tubes. This is called an ectopic pregnancy. This kind of pregnancy is dangerous for the mother because it can cause certain organs to rupture and that would further complicate the patient's case."

Chizuru nodded and prodded for him to continue. Her eyes never left the area she was operating on. "Then why is Jounouchi-sensei here with us if we're operating for an ectopic pregnancy? Isn't this just a case for us then? Why do we need an internist?"

"Maihara-sensei, the patient has chronic heart failure for the past two years. Meaning, her heart doesn't pump blood efficiently. We need an internist to monitor the vital signs to make sure it's stable."

"As expected of Tamaki's protégé. He called you the naughty host, right?" Chizuru teased.

"Yes." Shiro Takaoji whispered. He briefly looked at the wall clock. It was already 5:00pm.

"And the girl you played the piano with long time ago is rotating with Jounouchi-sensei's department?" Chizuru threw another punch. There was nothing like teasing the younger doctors.

Ayame was already giggling. "Your girlfriend talks about you all the time. She even told us about your anniversary dinner later. Dinner at the Suoh Grand Hotel, right?"

"Ah, Young love. I'm a bit jealous now." Chizuru laughed as she tied one of the structures. "We're lucky today, Jounouchi-sensei. There isn't any bleeding, so we avoided the worst. Looks like we're going home soon."

Chizuru cut the remaining piece and took off the part where the fetus was implanted. "Specimen out."

"Alright Naughty Host. If you can answer my next question, I'll let you go home early. No need to pass by the ward to check on the other patients."

Shiro looked at the surgeon with conviction and dread. He wasn't able to fully study the case and just made a lucky guess earlier.

"What's the most common symptom of ectopic pregnancy?" Chizuru asked.

Shiro froze. He thought long and hard. "Abdominal pain?"

"What a safe answer." Chizuru almost laughed. "I'll just let you go early. Poor boy might be late for his date if I keep him in here for long."

"It's fine, Maihara-sensei. The reservation is at 7." He assured.

"Did you guys get a room?" Chizuru casually asked.

"Yes." He replied nonchalantly. Not realizing the information he just gave.

All the women in the operating room squealed. The Obstetrics and Gynecology Department was a girl's world. The only had two male staff and even they identified themselves as women. The poor intern was lucky to be wearing a face mask or else everyone saw how red he was. Poor Ayame looked at her feet. Even the intern had a date and was getting more action than her.

"Ah, I mean-" Shiro tried to save whatever was left, but his efforts were futile.

"It's fine. It's fine." Chizuru replied lightly. "As long as you're two consenting adults who will use protection because your girlfriend wants to join our department. We can't have her pregnant yet."

Shiro nodded briefly.

"I salute you, Takaoji-kun. I'm almost done so you have a lot of time to prepare for later." Chizuru cut the final suture as she winked.

"Operation ended 5:40pm." The nurse announced.

Chizuru stretched her back and took off her surgical gown. The nurse handed her a few documents to sign. Chizuru groaned as she went to the computer and typed the findings of the operation. She looked at the specimen one last time and had it sent to pathology.

Ayame Jounouchi knew it was now or never. "Maihara-sensei, do you want to grab some dinner?"

"Shall we? Will we spy on the two lovebirds?" Chizuru tormented the poor boy. She watched him stiffen as he took off his gown and mask.

"M-maihara-sensei." Shiro almost pouted.

"Just kidding. Aren't you leaving yet?" Chizuru pushed the intern out of the room. "Let's get out of here before they give us more work to do."

"There's a new French restaurant a few blocks from here." Ayame looked at her phone as she shook her head as she followed the two. She's always wanted to go there.

"Let's go. I'm starving already."

If Chizuru had a talent, it was how she caught people off guard. She could just candidly extract information from anyone. Everyone felt at ease with her. That trait of hers was Kyoya's secret weapon. Everyone told Chizuru their problems. Chizuru in turn told him everything.

"What are we going to talk about?" Chizuru stood beside Ayame.

"My friend and I were curious with how you and Ootori-kun became friends." Ayame replied absent mindedly as she filled up the forms for their patient while they walked out of the operating room. She froze when she realized what came out of her mouth. "I'm sorry I-"

"It's fine. It's not like it's a secret. You should invite them then. It's quite a funny story." Chizuru took no offense with her curiosity. It was something a lot of people asked her discreetly.

"What's your relationship with Ootori-kun?" Ayame asked directly. The cat was out of the bag anyways.

Shiro took off raised a brow. The man finally recovered from his shock earlier. "You really didn't know? She's Kyoya-senpai's 'lovely item'." He said as he curled his fingers at the term 'lovely item' for emphasis.

"Lovely item?" Ayame repeated hesitantly.

Chizuru nodded her head as if their words were common sense. "Yes, Lovely item. You know how Mori has Honey as a lovely item? That's me."

Chizuru looked at the woman trying to comprehend her words. She glanced at Shiro who shrugged his shoulders. It was difficult to comprehend for first timers. "You know what, let's go to that French restaurant and I'll tell you everything."

* * *

Kyoya sat in silence as he stared out the car window. He didn't expect to spend his summer vacation as a third year student like this. The pier was getting visible to the naked eye. He watched his mother fix her makeup while his father was making a few calls to his secretary. He knew his parents were going to attend an exclusive conference for families. It was the in thing for married people their age. All the wives were raving about it at the last charity ball. He didn't expect his father's request that he accompany them.

It was most likely another test for him.

A Two-week cruise sounded short, but the last thing he wanted was to be crammed in an enclosed space with strangers. He looked at the cruise itinerary. They had a stop in France, Italy, Greece, and Croatia. Their last port was all the way at Scotland. The maiden voyage of Grandis Cruises was an event open to only the most exclusive and powerful families from Japan.

"Kyoya, I expect you to be in your best behavior." Yoshio stated.

"Yoshio, I'm sure Kyo-chan will be just fine. It's just a two-week cruise." Mikazuki Ootori smiled at her son.

She wasn't exactly the doting mother type, but she always made sure all her children ate at least three meals a day. She personally oversaw the kitchen of their household. Kyoya presumed it was his mother's cooking that kept his parent's marriage together.

"He's a grown man, must you address him as such?" Yoshio said with his gaze not leaving his phone. He may be on vacation but work never stops for people like him.

"No man is an adult in front of their mother." Mikazuki squeezed her son's cheek. Sometimes she wondered how quickly her youngest grew. It felt like it was just yesterday when he was a small boy that would insist on holding her hand and now, she had to gaze up just to look at him.

"Okaasama, please." Kyoya replied with a mild hint of peevishness that any teenage boy would give his mother when treated like a five-year-old.

Somehow, Kyoya found himself on the coast of Italy on his first day of summer vacation. He was to go on a cruise with his parents. It was a business meeting and guised as a vacation. For some, it was an omiai center. Most parents brought their child along hoping they would build a relationship with someone their age.

"Ah, we're here." Mikazuki placed her sunglasses on.

"Good day, Mr and Mrs Ootori." One of the employees greeted in fluent Japanese which was a foreign sight to see. He offered to take their bags and offered them a welcome drink.

Kyoya stepped out of the car and saw the ship that was docked. There were cars dropping off passengers in each corner. All the guests had their own welcoming committee. It was smaller than the Maurtania, but they didn't need a large ship. Those were gargantuan boats were cruising for the masses. This was meant to cater to a different sector.

"Ah, you must be Sir Kyoya Ootori." Another employee greeted. "This way please sir."

Kyoya followed closely behind his parents as they were ushered to the waiting room as their luggage was brought to their respective rooms. He took the time to see who was included in the guest list the night before. Most of the attendees were from Japan. Shizue Suoh was there with her friends. All the powerful matriarchs had a club of sorts. She in vited her grandson, but Tamaki couldn't make it since he was already in America with Haruhi.

He didn't look forward to these trips. As he sipped his iced tea, most of the children the parents brought to this trip only had two profiles. They were either too young, meaning size years of age and below or much much older that their parents were practically forcing them to find a suitable partner on the ship.

He didn't fall into any of the categories. It appears as if he was the only teenager in sight.

"Ootori-san, how lovely it is to see you here." An elderly woman in a pink kimono approached his mother.

"Komatsu-san, I was hoping to see you." The two women greeted each other excitedly. The Komatsu family was a close associate of theirs. Their family was engaged in the manufacturing electronics.

"Komatsu-san, it's nice to see you here as well." Yoshio greeted as well. He signaled for Kyoya to come close him. "I would like to introduce you to my youngest son, Kyoya."

"Oh, we've met already. He saved me from being scammed at a commoner expo event." She smiled at Kyoya. Her ring with a 30-carat diamond ring shone in full display.

"It's a pleasure to see you here, Komatsu-san." Kyoya bowed respectfully. His charming smile was out in full display.

"You two raised a fine son. I wish my children were like yours." The woman said.

"Oh, they can be a handful too." Mikazuki replied in a playfully gracious tone. "So who are the matchmakers planning on uniting with this trip?" Mikazuki whispered as she carefully glancing at the 30-year-old bachelors and bachelorettes in the room.

"Well, the Yamaguchi family is practically offering their second daughter to anyone." She went closer and whispered something in Mikazuki's ear.

All Kyoya's mother could do was gasp.

* * *

As Chizuru walked into the ship, her stomach churned. For most people, this was the most luxurious ship imaginable to mankind, but the only thing that ran through her mind was being chained. Outwardly, Chizuru was everything a well-brought up girl should be, but the inside was something else entirely.

On the outside, she was poised, well-dressed, had a thorough knowledge of singing, dancing, the arts, and modern languages. Chizuru longed for something more. She valued strength more than beauty. The ability to think quickly on one's feet rather than embroidering something tablecloth. Not that there was anything wrong with those hobbies, it's just that she couldn't let her personal value be tied to something so superficial.

"Please escort the Maihara family to Parlor suite rooms B-52, 54, 56." The employee instructed.

"Ms. Chizuru, your room is this way." A beautiful young woman who was probably in her mid-20s ushered her to her room.

"What's your name, miss?" Chizuru asked.

The employee was unaccustomed to such treatment. Chizuru was aware that people from her side of society tended to ignore the "non-essentials".

"Maria, Ms. Chizuru."

"Well then, Ms. Maria. Thank you so much for taking good care of me." Chizuru smiled genuinely. She admired these people who were brave enough to leave their homes to work for a better future.

Chizuru also didn't understand why her grandmother brought her here. Her family went to these yearly cruises, but she always brought her much older cousins. She was in her third year of high school and she should be studying for her entrance exams, but a distraction such as this was somewhat welcomed.

The parlor suit had its own living room and a private promenade deck to host guests. Chizuru looked at the intricate fixtures added. This was by far the most luxurious cruise she has ever seen. She was led to one of the rooms on the end of the suite that overlook the open sea. It didn't take long for her to settle in. Her things were already unpacked when she got there.

She took a picture of her brother and placed it on the nightstand. It was exactly a year after his death. She didn't expect anyone else to remember. Her grandmother refused to speak about him. It only brought her bad memories and she didn't want to discuss it further.

"Can I come in?" Suzue Maihara was Chizuru's newly divorced aunt. The middle-aged woman sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the photo on Chizuru's nightstand.

Maihara women tend to look alike. It was a joke that they were all just different versions of each other. On multiple occasions, they've mistaken her to be Chizuru's mother. It might as well have been the case. It didn't help that all the women from their family went to St. Lobelia Girl's Academy.

"I just spoke with your mother on the phone and she sounds fine."

Chizuru felt relieved. Growing up, Chizuru's mother focused on her brother and she grew up fending for herself. Her mother dedicated every waking hour her life to taking care of her twin brother. When he died, her mother took it the worst. She couldn't even stand up by herself during the funeral.

"Also, I came to warn you." Suzue waved her pointer finger at her niece. "That movement you and your friends started was definitely a good idea, but did you have to include your father in the list of people you were petitioning for a reinvestigation for rape cases?"

"Regardless of our ties, it doesn't change the fact that he did what he did. Besides, he never acted like a father to me." Chizuru bit her lip.

"He's not going to take that lightly."

"I know. I'm prepared for the worst."

Suzue pulled Chizuru up and fixed her dress. "Well, the worst is coming and he's bringing a new mistress along. Just get ready for dinner because he's bound to make a scene."

Chizuru suddenly felt the world crash down on her. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck on a boat with her father and his mistress.

* * *

The ship disembarked smoothly. It wasn't long until dinner was served. Kyoya put on his coat and fixed his tie. Dinner always meant fine dining and he couldn't let himself be seen as underdressed for the occasion. All sorts of thoughts ran through his head as he got ready. With Tamaki and Haruhi away for almost a year, it would be difficult to continue Host Club activities. He also had to think about his position in the family. Working under the Ootori Group would be a safe option, but it wouldn't get him what he wanted.

Succession based on merit required meticulous planning and his brothers had the luxury of a head start. They would have created their own spheres of influence even before he finished his studies. He needed to do something bigger than that to prove his worth.

When Kyoya left his room, he saw his father smoking a cigar as he read the newspaper. "Kyoya, I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you along for this trip."

Kyoya pushed his glasses and sat across his father and waited for his instructions. He would have been more surprised if he was tagged along just because they missed him.

"There's someone I need to watch over. Don't let her out of your sight, and don't let her get bored." Yoshio said as he turned the pages of the newspaper. "I've heard she's quite a handful, but with that club of yours I'm sure you can keep her entertained. Besides, it's not the first time you've met."

* * *

Kyoya looked at the private dining area that was kept just for a few families. Even within their sector, there were visible rankings. The New Money were lumped together along with the actors and actresses without any exemplary pedigree. Politicians stayed in another area. Families like his were considered 'old-rich' and it was a tight knit circle that cannot be penetrated so easily.

No matter how much he looked around, he didn't see the target his father hinted at. He sat down on his designated seat and made small talk with those around him. He might as well use his time productively.

Kyoya looked at the elderly woman who was to be seated a few seats away from him. It was the matriarch of the Maihara family herself. It was the first time he's seen the woman. He didn't expect to see a striking resemblance with a certain Zuka Club member.

"Where's Chizuru?" Ume Maihara whispered to her daughter. Dinner was starting in a few minutes and her granddaughter was nowhere to be seen.

Suzue Maihara sighed as she fixed her shawl. She looked at the floor to ceiling glass of the dining area that had a perfect view of the deck. "Probably out there."

Without missing a beat, a young woman stood close to the railings wearing a pale blue dress. She stared at awe with the scenery around her. The wind ruffled through her light brown hair as she stared at the sunset.

Kyoya's attention was brought to the boisterous voice that just entered the room. Yukio Maihara somehow managed to bring a few of his friends into the private area. He flaunted the influence his name had. The man only had his family name to thank for. There were no other notable achievements after that.

Somehow, he found himself near the Maihara family. So, his target for the trip was Chizuru Maihara. Kyoya introduced himself to Chizuru's relatives. The first impression was the most critical one unfortunately, the Host Club already left a certain mark with Chizuru. He could only hope to salvage that part now.

Chizuru entered the room with a light smile. Her wavy hair was still a mess from the strong winds from outside. She looked at Kyoya for a few seconds as if comprehending his presence in the room. "Ootori-san?"

"It's nice to see you here, Maihara-san." Kyoya politely smiled back.

Chizuru wasn't good with false pretensions. The two teenagers sat quietly beside each other as the dinner service was starting. It hasn't even been an hour and Kyoya could visibly see that his target was bored. She sighed more times that he could count already.

It also didn't help that Yukio Maihara impolitely dominated the conversation with his friends. Some new money contractor who worked for the government and a recently elected official who was trying to rub elbows with the top 1% of society.

"This ship is probably the most luxurious one in all of history. Our master ship builder Isao-san conceptualized the whole thing." Yukio Maihara raised his glass.

The man wiped the corners of his mouth. "Please, I couldn't have done it without Mishima-san's skills."

Chizuru continued to eat the dinner rolls as she stopped herself from rolling her eyes. She hated it when men started listing down their achievements with a false sense of graciousness.

The waiter stood close Chizuru's father and asked for their order.

"My daughter and I will both have the lamb, rare, with extra mint sauce. You like lamb, right my princess?" Chizuru's father said without even looking at her. However, he had an almost sickening glance as referred to his mistress.

The woman nodded and let Yukio Maihara decide for her. It was that kind of submissive behavior that brought the man satisfaction.

Chizuru was about to say something, but she felt her father squeeze her wrist almost twisting it. Kyoya briefly saw what happened under the table, but Chizuru didn't say anything and just smiled politely.

"You might as well cut their meat, Yukio." Suzue discreetly rolled her eyes. There was a brief silence and she decided to keep the conversation rolling. "Who thought of the name of the ship?"

"Why it was Isao-san."

The man was a picture of a chauvinist down to the last detail. "I wanted to convey size, grandiosity, stability, strength, and luxury in one word."

Chizuru nodded a few times. She knew the man after reading the number of cases filed against him for sexual harassment at work. He was also included in the list with the petition the Zuka Club created.

"I suppose you must be a fan of Dr. Freud, Isao-san." Her tone was soft as she spoke as she sliced her lamb into small bite size pieces. The only manner of eating acceptable for a lady by men's standards. "He's written several books that explains a lot about man's preoccupation with size. I think those must be of particular interest to you."

Kyoya pushed his glasses to hide his amusement. Chizuru Maihara was being quite passive aggressive. The Maihara women were known to be quite strong characters. Their greatest flaw was creating a monster of a family member that they couldn't disown. The rest of the dinner went by smoothly. It seems like the cruise wasn't going to be so boring after all.

* * *

Yukio held his daughter's wrist tightly as he dragged her to one of the more secluded areas of the ship. He ignored Chizuru's protests as he almost flung her against the wall. He sat down on the outdoor chairs and placed his half-finished glass of brandy on the table.

Chizuru pulled her arm away and rubbed her wrist. She was about to leave until her father yanked her.

"So you think you're clever?" Yukio snorted. He drank whatever remained from his glass and signaled to the waiter to bring him another bottle of brandy.

"You have the nerve to disrespect me? I will not be made a fool, Chizuru." He glared at his own daughter.

She didn't say anything. Her father wasn't worth her energy.

The waiter discreetly placed the bottle and a new glass on the table. Not wishing to be part of the commotion.

"Must you keep chasing after that woman you're with all the time? She's nothing. A daughter of an actress? That doesn't amount to anything in our world." Yukio poured himself another glass of brandy.

"I see you were having me followed." Chizuru sighed. "How typical of you."

"Women were made to be of service to men. That's how society works." Yukio looked at the waiters who stood by and laughed. "She thinks she's better than men. Unbelievable."

"All I want is for us to act like a family, Chizuru." Yukio said humorously. "I only care about your welfare as a father. As for your behavior earlier, you will not behave like that again, Chizuru. Do you understand?"

Chizuru glared at her father. "I'm not your one of your employees. You can't tell me what to do."

Yukio started shaking with anger. He threw his glass to the floor and toppled the table with the newly opened bottle of brandy. "One of my employees? You're my daughter and you will act as such."

He slapped his daughter so hard she fell off her seat. "You are my daughter so you will give me the respect a daughter required to give. I will not be made a fool, Chizuru."

Chizuru bit her lip as she watched her father leave. She bent down and started picking the broken pieces of glass on the floor. The last thing she wanted was for others to clean up a mess her father made.

The staff assigned to Chizuru's suite saw the events unfold and ran to clean up the mess.

"Ms. Chizuru, please let me do it."

"Maria, it's fine. I'm sorry. We just had a little accident." Chizuru's lips quivered as she continued to pick up the shards of glass.

Chizuru walked back to her room and saw Kyoya standing by the doorway. He wasn't there for long, but he heard enough to grasp the situation. He hoped the dossier he read about her wasn't true, but it seems like that was Chizuru's reality.

She ignored Kyoya as she walked as fast as she could.

"Maihara-san, your hand." Kyoya pointed out.

Chizuru looked at her hand and she didn't even notice it was bleeding. Kyoya took his handkerchief and wrapped it around carefully. He had to be more mindful with how he approached Chizuru. She wasn't like the rest of the girls who frequented the Host Club.

"You always see me at my worst, Ootori-san." Chizuru looked up to stop her tears from falling.

Kyoya felt conflicted at this point. He wasn't sure why his father asked him to watch over Chizuru again. What game was he forced into? What part was he playing? His father's intentions weren't clear, but that wasn't his priority now. Tamaki would murder him if he let such a situation slide without offering some level of comfort to any woman in such distress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this was the first part of of how they officially became friends.
> 
> Also another disclaimer, I'm not a health professional so I just research things on google and put things together. I don't even understand half of the terms I read so don't take the things I wrote here seriously hahahaha
> 
> I wanted to go multi-dimensional for this part. I wanted to go medical but I wanted a luxury Ouran approved style of vacationing. Then I wanted to tear things down to justify why the two are so close. They say that there's unity in adversity so let's just say I'm going towards that direction.
> 
> Also, are there other characters you want to see more of?


	6. The Vacation Part 2

It's been two days since the incident between Chizuru and her father. Kyoya couldn't help but wonder why she was acting normal. It didn't make sense to him that someone who fought strongly for equality between the sexes didn't do anything. Was her exterior just a front? Did she have any ulterior motives? Was she so good at hiding her true intentions that even he couldn't sense it? Thoughts like this ran through his mind because he couldn't fully grasp the situation which was unlike him.

What he couldn't understand was how Chizuru managed to personally know most of the employees of the boat. The longer he observed her, the more he realized how lacking her dossier was. She wasn't like Tamaki and the twins who created chaos wherever they went, but she immersed herself in it to a fault.

The number of tourists swarming around them was already making him feel claustrophobic. The scent of sweat and noisy tourists wearing sandals and Hawaiian shirts to one of the largest cathedrals in Italy perplexed him. Even with their influence, they couldn't fully ask all the tourists to leave in all areas so they had no choice but to be mixed along the crowd for certain parts of the tour.

"Maihara-san, would you like to stop and rest?" Kyoya said courteously and hid his discomfort.

Chizuru shook her head without even looking at him as she went through one section of the museum after another. They followed the private tour group

"On you're right, you can see the tapestries dating all the way to the 1600's." The tour guide mentioned. "If you'll continue to follow this path…"

Kyoya was barely listening at this point. It wasn't their first time here, but his mother and Chizuru's grandmother wanted to see the Vatican once more.

"You're not a fan or religious art, Ootori-san?" Chizuru suddenly asked as she stood close to him.

Kyoya examined the gargantuan painting that spanned from one end of the wall to another. "It's not that I don't appreciate it. The quality and technique is certainly commendable, but…"

"But it all looks the same at one point?"

He didn't answer that statement. There was plenty of truth to it, but he couldn't possibly say something that disrespectful in foreign territory.

"You know, there's a nice restaurant not too far from here. I doubt they would notice us leaving." Chizuru whispered as she gestured at him to follow her.

It seems like she knew the place well and found one of the exits that lead to a side street. He followed her closely as they passed from one alley after another carefully avoiding the tourist infested areas. There were people on vespas passing closely by them. A brief scene of a mother holding her grown son by the ear and scolding him and lovers who were kissing in one of the more secluded areas. The shops became suddenly much smaller now and there were no tourists in the area.

"How many times have you been to Italy?" Kyoya asked.

"Eight or nine times?" Chizuru looked back and smiled. "Ah, we're here."

It was a small restaurant with pale yellow walls that have aged along with its owner. It looked like those family owned restaurants that have been around for at least three generations. Even the interiors have remained the same. Kyoya opened the door and they were escorted to their seats.

Being stuck in a cruise, forces people to get to know one another on a different pace. In the two days they've been stuck together, Chizuru noticed three things. First, Kyoya had quite the appetite, but he was far too mindful of his actions to let it show. Second, he had a certain look when he observed people. It was like as if he knew something that others didn't which was most likely the case. Third, was…

"You think I can predict your thoughts?" Kyoya suddenly asked.

Chizuru stiffened. He proved himself yet again. "How do you do it, Ootori-san? I've never met anyone with that kind of…skill."

Kyoya sipped his water. It was almost unsettling how much questions Chizuru asked about him. He wasn't sure if she was sizing him up or if it was just out of sheer curiosity. He leaned forward and his lips turned slightly upward.

"I observe people."

It was a clear statement, but Chizuru still couldn't grasp it. She wasn't the type who saw through people fully. "I noticed that too, but it feels like you're playing a game with yourself. I couldn't understand it myself."

Kyoya's initial hypothesis that Chizuru was a mellowed down version of Tamaki was scrapped. She wasn't an idiot. She didn't see through others with extreme accuracy but was the opposite. She let things unfold slowly and took it as is. She carefully extracted information from others and put two and two together.

"You're like that jigsaw puzzle my cousin got for me last Christmas." Chizuru had a nostalgic expression that quickly turned sour. "He got me a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle that formed a blank page. All the pieces were white. No one could possibly solve something like that."

The food arrived and suddenly, the woman's attention was shifted to the food in front of them. Naturally, she started talking about the food. Kyoya found himself genuinely enjoying the discussion. If there was something Kyoya had to commend, it was how great of a conversationalist Chizuru was. She's able to talk about virtually anything without overwhelming others.

"Ootori-san, is it fine if I start calling you by your name?"

Kyoya nodded briefly. He was just surprised with the sudden request. "It would be my pleasure. How do you wish to be addressed, Maihara-san?"

"Just call me by my name. And will you stop talking to me like I'm some kind of business client?" Chizuru sighed. "But I guess I kind of am, right? Did your father ask you to follow me?"

"He did." Kyoya replied as he held his cup. There was no point in lying. He was about to drink, but now he wasn't so sure how Chizuru would react to this.

"It figures."

The laugh that came out of her perplexed him even more. He looked up and watched her snickering on his expense.

"I realized that yesterday when we went through one store after another." Chizuru sniggered. The memory of her shopping spree and her poor escort came into mind. "Even I could tell you wanted to die halfway."

"What I couldn't understand was how you could differentiate all those shades of nude." Kyoya jibed. He knew the colors theoretically and could identify it in groups of two or three, but twenty shades were too much. No matter how much he looked, it was still just nude colored heels.

"Those shoes were a steal. I didn't have it in that shade." Chizuru scoffed. "That's why I offered to help you choose a pair. You don't seem to know any other color except brown, white, black, and grey. I think you'd look nice in something like royal blue or patterns."

Kyoya cleared his throat. It's not that he wasn't fashionable, but he just preferred more subdued colors and classic styles. He was about to defend himself, but she didn't even give him the opportunity to speak.

"You dress up like your brothers." Chizuru finished the remains of her pizza. "You three dress like your mother picked all your clothes for you guys. It's like your father's style which is almost well…old."

Kyoya sat there in silence. He didn't realize how much he and his brothers dressed similarly until now. He didn't bother on noticing such a trivial thing.

"I know that maybe the girls who chose you as a host would prefer that kind of style, but it doesn't bring out your best features." Chizuru pursed her lips to one side and looked at him. "You're the type that needs an accent. Like a certain pop of color to break the monotony or go totally monochrome."

"I am quite satisfied with the way I dress, Chizuru." Kyoya's smile started to strain. He didn't like where this was going.

"I know you are, but will you be satisfied with not looking like your best?" Chizuru played the only card she had. "Are you willing to be just slightly above average in that aspect?"

Kyoya was a perfectionist by nature and the thought of above average bothered him. Somehow, he found himself being dragged to one shop after another. He didn't plan on buying any new clothes since he has more than enough back home, but Chizuru strongly suggested that he get a fresh look. They came back to the boat that day with more than enough clothes to last him the entire trip. He had to put a limit or else Chizuru would have gotten enough for a year.

* * *

"I told you it would work." Chizuru gave a thumbs up to her new work of art. "You look like an actor. The glasses though are a good accessory to your look."

Kyoya found himself responding to Chizuru more openly. "The royal blue jacket was something I was quite surprised with."

"Right? I was sure the other girls were staring at you when we were having breakfast."

It was the sixth day of the cruise and the two decided to have lunch at the other restaurants in the ship. There were no stops today and they were in the middle of the Mediterranean. Somehow, they found themselves having lunch at a fast food style restaurant on another area of the ship that offered wagyu beef burgers and fries.

Chizuru looked at Kyoya questioningly. "I didn't expect you to like burgers so much. You didn't seem like the type to enjoy this."

"I was quite surprised myself." Kyoya wiped the corners of his mouth. "The first time I had this was with Haruhi, but the quality of the food was different."

"You were too prideful to admit you liked it at that time and pretended to find it satisfactory." Chizuru had a mischievous smile.

Kyoya pushed his glasses. "I don't understand what you're implying."

"Haruhi told me the story already." Chizuru dismissed. "She said you looked like you were forced to eat it out of hunger. The Ootori pride must be something to behold." She shook her head slowly as she said the last statement.

"She even told me about the beach incident." She suddenly gave him a quick look of contempt. She shook her head slowly in disapproval. "I didn't think you were that kind of guy."

"How is it that Haruhi is so fond of you?" Kyoya hoped to gain control of the conversation. He didn't expect his underclassman to tell every single bit of detail to her. It wasn't like Haruhi to be so chatty.

"How do you see Haruhi?" Chizuru rested her chin on her hands. There wasn't any malice in her words. It was all pure curiosity.

He pushed his glasses up. "She's merely a classmate and someone who's part of the same club."

"I know, but how do you see her as a girl?"

Kyoya wasn't feeling too comfortable with where the conversation was going. He was well aware of his feelings towards Haruhi, but he couldn't act on it. He couldn't let anyone else know this.

Chizuru took a deep breath. "Let me rephrase that. How would you describe her as a person?"

"She's logical, independent, and is highly intellectual." Kyoya felt like he dodged a bullet, but his composure remained intact. No cracks or holes to show his weakness.

"Right?" Chizuru nodded. "So, I couldn't understand why you guys were furious with why she acted to protect your guests before calling for help."

"We only cared about her safety back then." Kyoya placed his hands together.

"Which is understandable." Chizuru saw the root cause of it. She spoke with a certain sense of understanding. "I don't blame you guys for reacting that way, but have you considered that maybe instead of always being there to protect Haruhi, it would be better to teach her how to do it herself?"

"Yes, but we weren't..." Kyoya stopped mid-sentence. He was blinded by his own thoughts that he didn't see it in that light. He realized their mistake.

Chizuru smiled when she knew he understood. "Tamaki will surely bring her into our world and we know how vicious it can get. You guys won't always be there to protect her."

That was the core of Chizuru's ideals in life and it reflected in most of her actions. Kyoya found himself admiring that now. In the short span of time, he's learned a lot about plenty of things.

He was also aware that Chizuru and Haruhi saw each other regularly. It came to a point that Haruhi even attended a Zuka Club event. Based on his sources, the two saw each at least once every two weeks. Chizuru accompanied Haruhi with her daily errands and would spend the afternoon with the Fujiokas. This woman genuinely cared for Haruhi and she understood that not everyone is as open minded with the thought of a Suoh having a "commoner" partner. Chizuru's sentiments told Kyoya more than enough. She wasn't naive or sheltered, but she wasn't the scheming type as well.

"How is she so fond of you? Tamaki was even jealous at some point." Kyoya repeated his unanswered question. He never mentioned how the Host King spied on the two as they went around doing regular everyday activities. Tamaki sulked for days because his daughter didn't look that happy when he accompanied her to the grocery.

"I don't invade her space like you guys." Chizuru looked at Kyoya and wondered why he didn't understand. "I don't mean to offend you, but you guys think you understand women."

There was this pause as Chizuru tried to formulate her thoughts properly. "I think this is especially true for Suoh-san. He's placing an ideal on Haruhi and it's like he's expecting her to be that person in his head without her knowing what that is."

Kyoya almost snickered. Almost. "That is exactly the case."

"That and Haruhi told me it was draining to be with Tamaki and the twins." Chizuru said as she tried to reach the straw of her milkshake using her mouth.

"I have to agree with her." Kyoya leaned against his chair. "Dealing with Tamaki takes a certain level of patience."

"How did you end up forming a Host Club with Tamaki? I doubt you broke a vase or something." Chizuru crooked her head to one side.

"Because it was a drastic idea in itself." Kyoya reiterated.

Chizuru looked at him with an expression that had more questions that needed answers. Their pleasant lunch suddenly turned differently when Chizuru's father entered the restaurant. Luckily, the man and his mistress didn't notice the two teens.

The upper class had a terrible way of treating mistresses. Certain people had a way of reminding people they didn't belong. The woman longed for some familiarity by eating at a more relaxed environment. Kyoya watched in Chizuru eavesdrop without any sense of shame.

"Chizuru-" Kyoya was suggesting that they leave discreetly, but Chizuru had other plans.

"Shhh…. they're arguing already." Chizuru ordered a plate of nachos just to justify their extended stay in the restaurant. She may hate her father, but it didn't stop her from snooping around.

Kyoya could hear them fighting over the dinner the other night. Apparently, Yukio's mistress didn't know that he was still married. She also didn't expect him to have a daughter her age. At this point, Kyoya wasn't sure if the woman lived under a rock or was just ignorant.

"Either she didn't do her research." Chizuru took a bite of her nachos. "Or I severely misjudged her."

Kyoya had a small smile on his face. "Or the lights upstairs just don't work at all."

Chizuru looked at Kyoya. Did he just imply that her father's mistress was just stupid? "Kyoya, I can't believe you just said that."

Another thing Chizuru's learned was how Kyoya had a way with words. His humor was dark, dry, and sarcastic. It wasn't the type of humor that worked with people who didn't read between the lines. He was rather witty if he let himself speak his mind more, but there must be a reason why he keeps his thoughts to himself. One could only imagine how dark his thoughts could get. In certain events that he let it out, it was actually funny and was usually at the expense of his target.

"I'm sure you were thinking of it." Kyoya's smile was almost too refreshing for his statement.

"But you said it."

Kyoya glanced briefly at the commotion unfolding right in front of their eyes. "Either she's going to walk out, or your father is going to make his fragile masculinity felt."

Chizuru almost spat out her drink. She found herself in a coughing fit and tried to breathe. "You really like witnessing these kinds of things. That's why you enjoy the Host Club. I can't believe a you pretend to hate drama, yet you spend a considerable amount of time _observing_."

"Well, I can't believe you could sleep peacefully after watching Titanic." Kyoya pushed his glasses up.

Yesterday after dinner, Chizuru insisted on watching a movie and staying up late. They ended up staying at his family's suite. The sound of crying and panicking passengers in the movie reverberated. When Kyoya's parents got back from their usual drinking sessions with the other "adults", the scene where Rose and Jack were navigating through the half sunken hallways of the Titanic was the first thing that greeted them.

"Well, I can't believe the first thing you thought after the car scene was how the owner was going to get the surprise of his life." Chizuru started laughing without any inhibition.

"No one would want some couple copulating in their brand-new vehicle."

Chizuru's heard all sorts of comments about the infamous car scene in Titanic, but Kyoya's sentiments were a first. She had to wipe the tears that escaped from her eyes. "Your mother looked absolutely mortified."

"She did look for the quickest route to the nearest lifeboat when you left." Kyoya smiled genuinely without him realizing.

"So that's how your real smile looks like." Chizuru had a mini celebration of success. "I had a feeling you were forcing it at times."

She was glad that he was finally letting loose now. She was seeing a different side of Kyoya now and it was slightly different from the first version she saw. The first one was charming and amiable without question. This new version was far more interesting to hang around with.

* * *

On their last day in Greece, the guests decided to have a Mamma Mia themed dinner. The white interiors and refreshing scenery was brought to the ship. The whole setup was elaborate, and the songs were amazing. They even had the actual band performing for them that evening.

Chizuru engaged herself with the other guests and tried her best to keep up, but it wasn't working. She then retreated to the sidelines and watched everyone enjoy themselves with the festivities, but Chizuru couldn't anymore. She's been stuck with her father for more than a week. It's the longest they've been together since she was a child. She felt like she was suffocating, and her thoughts just raced until she finally gave in.

She walked out to the back of the ship where no one could see her. This was probably the closure she's been waiting for. In the back of her head, there was always this tiny bit of hope that things would change, but reality was just diminishing that light until it disappeared.

"I can't do this anymore." Chizuru ignored the cold winds that sliced through her as she sat on the edge of the lounge chairs on the deck. She was far too exhausted to act like she was fine.

Her father purposely berated her, her mother, aunt, and even his mistress. She didn't understand. What she did wrong? What did she do to her father that would cause so much hate between them? Her mind was screaming in protest as she endured everything, but she could only take so much.

Kyoya crossed his arms and leaned against the wall as he watched her. It was almost astounding with how self-absorbed Yukio Maihara could get. He saw through the game being played though. Yukio Maihara knew that his daughter lacked in that aspect. He planned on breaking her on the spot so he could get what he wanted.

Chizuru didn't play games like the rest of them, but what she didn't know was how powerful of a player she was.

"He's trying to break you." Kyoya sat across from her.

"Break me? What for?" Chizuru's breath was shaky.

"You're his biggest threat." Kyoya smirked. "He knows you have potential so he's trying to nip it at the bud."

"I don't understand." Chizuru fiddled with her hands. "I don't want to have anything to do with him."

"There's a reason why your mother won't divorce him." Kyoya explained. "It's for you. She chose your birthright as something far more important."

"I'm not next in line for that. In fact, I'm the last one in line." Chizuru bit her lip.

Chizuru's eldest cousin was a devout Catholic like her mother. He was practically a saint. He wouldn't dare harm a fly. Her other cousin was quite eccentric with his Buddhist inclinations. They had more claim over the position as head of the family. They came after her aunt and father. There wouldn't be any problems with the succession planning if her uncle didn't suddenly die of a heart attack seven years ago.

For most people, that was how the situation was. Kyoya had a talent of visualizing multiple possibilities and how probable it was to happen. By the looks of things, Chizuru was going to get right in front whether she liked it or not. It was a longshot but was still a possibility in the grand scheme of things.

"No one's asking you to join the family business. There are plenty of ways around it." Kyoya felt the adrenaline rushing through his veins. The very fuel of his existence was to play this game. "Have you heard of having a board representative?"

"Kyoya, I'm not like…you." Chizuru sighed. "I'm not good at these sorts of things."

"You'll never get better if you don't try to learn from it." Kyoya crossed his legs. "I had a feeling you were enduring your father's treatment because of your mother's position. It would appear as she was doing the same for you."

Chizuru looked at him with awe. Kyoya saw through everything with maddening precision and accuracy. She thought she hid it well enough, but he could see through the cracks.

"I'm not good at lying."

"You aren't." Kyoya's expression was indecipherable. "It takes skill and lots of practice."

Somehow, Chizuru felt like the chills she was getting wasn't from the winds anymore. There was this dark look emanating from Kyoya's eyes. She didn't play the game she was just terrible at it and not didn't sit well with her.

"Whether you like it or not, you're going to have to play." Kyoya looked at her directly without blinking. He could feel her need and uncertainty. "Luckily, I'm willing to teach you a thing or two."

Chizuru looked hesitantly at Kyoya. He was offering a solution, but was it enough? Was she that desperate to strike a deal with an Ootori? Hinako warned her that Kyoya was dangerous, but she couldn't sit back and watch. She wasn't sure what she was getting herself into, but the manipulation, lies, and meticulous planning that went with this sort of scheme was the Ootori's specialty.

Kyoya's expression was dark with a tight-lipped smile. It was almost menacing in character. He offered his hand. "Let's shake hands then and formalize our agreement."

Kyoya smirked. He saw clearly through her. "I don't teach this sort of thing to just anyone."

Chizuru reluctantly shook his hand and it felt like she made a deal with the devil himself. However, this was a price she needed to pay to protect herself and her mother. She was tired of playing nice and Kyoya's expertise was exactly what she needed.

Kyoya stood up and offered his arm. "The first rule with playing the game is acting like you've got a winning deck."

Chizuru couldn't comprehend it fully she followed his lead as they walked around the deck. "What if they figure out I'm bluffing? I don't have a winning hand."

"Yes, but to pull off a good con you need to fool yourself first."

They slowly made their way back to the party. Kyoya felt Chizuru's grip tighten. "Let's gamble for tonight. Let everyone think you've got more power than they think."

"Anyone who would do a basic family tree on me would see through it."

"Your grandmother hasn't named the next representative for a reason. She's still looking for the best candidate. If you were truly not part of her options, she would have chosen early on. Strictly speaking, it's fair game." Kyoya said as he took a glass of punch for himself and his uneasy companion.

At a glance, Chizuru looked fine, but she was so close to breaking. He knew why he was asked to keep her company. "Are you feeling better?"

Chizuru nodded and placed the empty glass on the table. "How sure are you that this is going to work?"

"Power resides where people think it resides." Kyoya leaned closely. "How do you think people think that I'm a good candidate for succession if I didn't do this properly?"

Chizuru froze. It was true. She actually forgot that Kyoya was in fact Yoshio's third son. He never gave off a message that he was limited to such a position, but he wasn't arrogant as well. It was all just the power of perception.

* * *

Kyoya sat on the edge of his bed and massaged his temples. There was a warning on the boat at around midnight that there were going to be strong waves. He didn't deal well with this and felt nauseated the entire night. It was impossible to sleep so he had to tap into a more unconventional method. Honestly speaking, Kyoya didn't think he would use the 12-year-old Suntory Hakushi Hikaru gave for this purpose. He slept peacefully after that. When he looked at the time it was almost time for lunch. He washed up and got changed.

"You did well, Kyoya." Yoshio put his newspaper down and nodded at his son. In the last two days, he saw a significant change that shifted the tides in their favor.

"Thank you, otousama."

"I expect you'll continue the good work."

Kyoya nodded politely and left. His mission was a success, but there was still plenty of work to do. Placing Chizuru at a favorable position was easy. It was getting rid of her father that would prove to be troublesome. He went to the other end of the hall where Chizuru's room was.

He was about to knock when he realized the door was left slightly ajar. He heard someone crying and there was this uncomfortable sensation that burned in his stomach. He carefully opened the door and made his way slowly into the room.

"No, stop. Please, don't."

He clenched his fists and emerged from the side of the room. Suddenly, he realized it was all for naught. Chizuru's lips quivered as she placed a piece of chocolate in her mouth. Without even looking at him, she moved to the side of her bed and made space for him to sit.

"Don't look at her. No…don't fall for her." Chizuru wrapped herself in a blanket and mouth the song the heroine was singing.

Kyoya watch the scene and he couldn't understand where all her emotions were coming from. The lead actress looked like she was singing as part of a play and then the lead male actor kissed her at the end.

Chizuru started slapping Kyoya's arm. "It's too late. Landon's fallen for Jamie."

"What movie is this?"

Chizuru turned slowly and looked at him with eyes wider than he's ever seen before. "You haven't seen A Walk to Remember?"

Kyoya shook his head.

"You haven't seen A Walk to Remember?" Chizuru repeated slowly with more emotion as she stressed through each syllable.

This was something Kyoya found annoying. It's like as his answer would change if the question was repeated slowly with more stress placed on each syllable. He sighed and leaned against the pillows behind him.

"Did you have breakfast already?"

Chizuru couldn't look at him straight in the eye. There was fear written all over her face. "You don't remember what happened this morning?"

Kyoya shook his head again.

Luckily, Chizuru didn't repeat the same question. She wasn't told that Kyoya woke up with a bad temper and she had to find out herself. The results were almost paralyzing. She feared a newly awaken Kyoya more than her father. Even more than the devil himself.

"If you're feeling much better, we can order room service." Chizuru suggested carefully.

She reached over the phone and ordered herself some lunch. "What do you want?"

"Steak. Medium rare."

Chizuru nodded and mouthed _"Sides?"_

"Mashed potatoes."

Chizuru placed the phone down and looked at Kyoya suspiciously. Prior to almost losing her life, she saw a bottle of alcohol on Kyoya's bedside table that morning. She had a feeling he used it to sleep through the turbulence last night.

"I didn't know you would do something like underaged drinking."

"Ah, you saw that?" Kyoya replied with very little remorse.

"I would have thought that you were the type who followed the rules." Chizuru hugged her pillow close

Kyoya's lips turned upward. "Strictly speaking, I do prefer to follow rules, but there are always exceptions."

"It's really the ones with strict parents who turn out to be the best liars." Chizuru looked at him with narrowed eyes. The fact that Kyoya wasn't denying anything said a lot.

"I'm probably the first Ootori to be associated with a Host Club. If that isn't something that makes me different from my siblings, I don't know what will." Kyoya paused for a moment. "Besides, I spend a considerable amount of time with Hikaru and Kaoru. You think they won't do something like underaged drinking?"

"I can't deny that." Chizuru smiled sheepishly.

The food finally arrived and the two decided to eat at the private promenade deck connected to the suite Chizuru's family stayed in. They ate in silence as Kyoya continued to read one of the books he brought along while Chizuru continued to watch the movie from her seat.

"You two are practically inseparable." Suzue Maihara looked at the two teens doing their own thing.

Kyoya stood up and greeted her politely. "Good afternoon, Maihara-sama."

"Be careful with who you charm, my dear. I'm a divorced middle-aged woman willing to accept any sort of attention." She jokingly replied. Her attention shifted to the movie playing. "A Walk to Remember?"

Chizuru nodded.

It seems like the trait for watching sappy movies was a Maihara family pastime. Kyoya continued reading his book, but he was curious with what happened. He found himself glancing a few times until he placed his book down. Somehow, the longer he watched the more annoyed he felt. This was exactly the kind of thing Tamaki loved. It was a good thing the movie finished before he could gauge his eyes off.

"The captain said we're arriving at the final port later tonight." Suzue said as her eyes stayed focus on the screen.

"There's going to be another themed party, right?"

"Yes, but it's going to be even more extravagant. As requested by Shizue Suoh herself." Suzue stood up and looked at her watch. "Oh, we should start getting ready."

"Well, I heard that Yama-niisan was planning on proposing already." Chizuru laughed. "It's a good thing I brought something suitable enough."

With the new trick Chizuru learned from Kyoya, she became a dangerous weapon as she made the trick her own. It still needed a lot of work, but it got the job done. The teacher was proud of the student at this point. She had one final night to prove herself.

* * *

Kyoya stood close to the end of the grand staircase as he waited for Chizuru to arrive. He politely greeted those who passed his way. Almost everyone was wearing a gown. He always made sure to bring a three-piece suit whenever he went on events like these.

"It seems like you always find yourself close to energetic people." Shizue Suoh said as she walked down the stairs. The woman exuded an aura fitting of an empress.

Kyoya walked towards her and offered his arm. "They do have a way of drawing people towards them."

"Tamaki called me and wondered when he could see you." Shizue shook her head as she thought about how immature her grandson was. "You've made him too dependent on you."

Kyoya smiled back politely. "Please, Suoh-sama. If anything, I feel like I've grown to rely more on Tamaki more than I would wish to admit."

Shizue glanced back at him. "You sound exactly like your father. Just leave me here. I'll find my way around. You shouldn't keep your companion waiting."

Kyoya turned around and saw a young woman headed his direction. Chizuru conversing with the other guests as she walked towards him. A lot of the other men called her a Japanese version of Audrey Hepburn. She radiated the same kind of elegance and poise most of the time. When she didn't have to act so formal, she was quite a mess.

Most of the guests that were closest to their age were in their late twenties to thirties. They were practically seen as children, but that didn't stop some from being curious. Chizuru said that a lot of girls and some of the boys who preferred to keep their identities secret had a huge crush on him. There was a small Kyoya fan club and Chizuru was the source of all information.

"Neh, Kyoya…I heard the proposal was going to happen anytime soon." Chizuru whispered.

The guests were all standing awkwardly in the area, so the scenario was about to unfold. The Yamanote family's eldest son was going to propose to the second born daughter of the Ayanokoji family. The clueless soon to be blushing bride stood close by the grand piano.

"Doesn't her youngest sister go to Ouran?" Chizuru asked. It was a family of four daughters and a single boy. Most families would try to marry off their daughters.

Kyoya nodded. "She was Honey and Mori's classmate."

Suddenly, the Yamanote heir, wearing a Greek styled robe, descended from the ceiling slowly and rose petals fell. He was doing some elaborate hand movements that followed the beat of the music. There was a chorus of children singing. They were probably trying to mimic an angelic choir of sorts.

Chizuru and Kyoya weren't strangers to such displays, but this was too much even for them. Not even a seasoned Zuka Club member and Host Club Vice President could have prepared for a presentation this opulent. If Mori were here, he would have screamed by now.

Kyoya pushed his glasses up. Tacky, repugnant, distasteful, cliché, repulsive. His mind could only think of so many synonyms at this point. Even Tamaki or Benibara wouldn't do something this stupid. He looked at Chizuru who had a wide tight-lipped smile on her face as she fought with all her power not to burst into laughter.

One can only surmise that the Yamanote heir was going to get rejected. No person in the right mind would accept such a proposal that was bordering public humiliation. There's a reason why the Yamanote heir was still single.

As if things couldn't get worse, there was interpretative dancing as he recited a poem while the choir sang in the backfround. It was painfully embarrassing to watch. Most of the spectators were too shocked to even keep their usual polite masks at this point.

"Control yourself." Kyoya scolded lightly. He could feel Chizuru shaking as she gripped his arm tightly.

The thing with situations where people couldn't react freely was it became a hundred times funnier because of the societal restrictions. Chizuru was silent but tears continuously streamed down her cheeks as her shoulders shook uncontrollably. She was careful not to make any sound.

"You looked possessed." Kyoya had to bite his lip at this point. It was starting to get difficult even for him. He took slow deep breaths and recited the value of pi to keep his composure. He watched his father leave the room discreetly with a cigar in hand. Clearly, it was too much even for him.

"Yes, I'll marry you."

A round of applause was heard. Finally, the torture they were subjected to was over.

* * *

Chizuru dragged him to the secluded part of the deck. It was their usual hiding spot. Kyoya pressed his lips together. He never expected someone from a prestigious school for young ladies to sit slouched with her legs spread apart. It contradicted how poised and elegant she looked wearing a gown that was embroidered with beads and all sorts of feather trims. He's never seen any of his classmates or any girl from Ouran sit like that so openly.

"Someone might see you."

"They're too busy congratulating the new couple. No one's going out here." Chizuru dismissed. She took off her shoes and watched the seaside town that was buzzling with life. "You should wear formal suits whenever you could. It brings your charm up. Didn't you notice all the girls trying to get your attention?"

Kyoya stood beside her as they watched the town nearby. It seems like there was a festival of some sort. "I was taught how to dress properly for such occasions."

"I was getting jealous at some point." Chizuru pouted. "I wanted Mayu-neesan to notice me too. It's not fair."

Kyoya almost forgot that Chizuru wasn't interested in men. She didn't give off the stereotypical vibe that he saw in movies. To be honest, he wasn't completely exposed to the LGBT community as much which may cause some errors with how he perceives them.

"There's something I want to clarify."

"What's that?"

"I thought the Zuka Club was about female supremacy? The projects you were talking about earlier didn't really reflect that." Kyoya clarified.

"That's Benibara's belief." Chizuru crossed her arms. "It was mine as well for some time, but…have you met my cousin Sho?"

"Briefly."

"Well, Sho-niisan is a devoted Buddhist. At first, I believed women could live without men and that we were better. Sometimes, I still do." Chizuru paused. "He taught me an important of balance. There were plenty of things a woman can do that a man couldn't, but that didn't make us better. There were certain things men could do that we couldn't do as effectively, but that didn't make you any better."

Chizuru looked at the festival happening in the town. "I just want all women to have the same opportunities presented to them. Why is a man who works relentlessly seen as a family man, but when a woman does it people think she's neglecting her family? Or why is a divorced man seen as having a marital issue and a divorced woman is seen as the marital issue?"

"You're planning on breaking a culture that's been placed for generations." Kyoya replied. It astonished him how she had the courage to go against that, but family was always a different matter.

"Japan wasn't like this initially. It was only in the past century where we were subjected to such treatment."

It was almost midnight and Chizuru put her heels back on. "I swear if I have to dance another waltz, I'm going to throw myself off this boat."

Then in that moment, a certain idea hit her. Her eyes light up and she smiled at Kyoya. "You wanna go to a real party?"

* * *

Kyoya couldn't believe how he found himself in the middle of an Irish festival drinking his second pint of beer as Chizuru danced with the one of the locals. To think she came up with the excuse of feeling sick right when she was standing near his father and her aunt. The pupil has finally understood how to use her new skills for the wrong purpose.

The town had its charms. It was exactly how anyone would imagine a small town beside the sea. It was loyal to the photos seen in travel magazines. The cobblestone streets, the old structures, and endless beer that was being offered to everyone in the area.

At least here, he was of legal age to drink. He looked at his half empty pint of beer and sausage platter. An hour has passed, and Chizuru isn't showing any signs of going back to the ship just yet. She's been dancing with strangers since they got here. He was trying to figure out what holiday it was since most of the people were wearing traditional styled clothing. His trail of thought was broke when he saw Chizuru kissing another woman.

It was going to take some getting used to. He looked away briefly and just ate his food in peace.

"You're on your second pint?" Chizuru looked at him in awe.

Kyoya drank whatever remained of his beer. "I'm going on my third."

He offered Chizuru a drink which she took, but she wasn't much of a drinker. She looked at him and wondered how he could drink something like this.

There was a slight pause in the music until the musicians started another round of something upbeat.

"I feel like I'm in a tavern." Chizuru laughed.

"The kind of tavern where a bar fight is about to happen soon."

Chizuru suddenly held his hand. "You can't stand there the entire time."

She caught her target slightly off guard and tipsy. She brought him to the dance floor where all the locals were doing something that looked like a polka.

"Chizuru wait." Kyoya protested as she was brought into the middle of a sea of people.

"We're going to have to get a bit closer." Chizuru pulled him close and started to take the lead.

"I can't do this." Kyoya's system fought for control. "I don't know the steps."

"Neither do I." Chizuru squeezed his hand.

Kyoya watched the people around them and observed their movements as he hesitantly danced with Chizuru. He wasn't comfortable with doing something so unfamiliar.

"Don't think too much, Kyoya." Chizuru laughed. "Just go with it."

This was what made Chizuru different. She didn't create chaos, but she drowned herself into the unknown. It was her curiosity and need to be part of what was happening that kept her world interesting. She wasn't like Tamaki or the twins who embarrassed themselves most of the time by making a scene. She joined and immersed herself in whatever was happening. Kyoya didn't notice that he was getting pulled along.

Little by little the two found a beat they were comfortable with and they weren't sure what they were doing. It looked like a cross between a waltz and a polka, but that didn't matter. The two were actually enjoying without any hesitations or boundaries. No one was there to scold them for doing something absurd. No one could have imagined that Chizuru managed to drag Kyoya to dance on top of a dining table with complete strangers.

Kyoya couldn't even believe it himself.

* * *

Suzue searched everywhere for Chizuru. She wasn't in her room and she didn't have breakfast yet. None of the other guests have seen her since she left the ball early last night. They were supposed to go on a tour with the Ootoris in two hours.

"Ms. Maria, have you seen Chizuru?" Suzue asked one of the staff that was assigned to their room.

The woman nodded and hesitantly lead her to a room at the end of the hall. Suzue followed the woman and bumped into the Ootori matriarch.

"Have you seen Kyoya?" Mikazuki asked.

Suzue shook her head. "He wasn't there for breakfast too?"

"I haven't seen him the entire morning. I thought he was with Chizuru." Her concern was growing now.

The two women walked towards Kyoya's room and was greeted with quite a sight. Kyoya was leaning against the wall as he slept still wearing last night's clothes. Chizuru was sprawled on the floor. The place reeked of alcohol.

"I had a feeling she went there." Suzue laughed. She saw the party briefly and knew it was the kind of place her niece would love to be in. "I apologize. It looks like Chizuru dragged your son into her escapades."

The two women looked at Maria. The poor woman wasn't sure how to respond. The two came back at around five in the morning practically holding onto each other since they couldn't stand. What would usually take a ten-minute walk to their rooms became a maze. It was a good thing Chizuru was close with the employees and they tried their best to guide the two back to their respective rooms.

* * *

"Chizuru it's time to go." Ume Maihara called her only granddaughter from the car.

"Just a few more photos, obaasama." Chizuru begged. She took photos with almost all of the staff and her new friends. Her crush, Mayu-neesan, and of course she needed a picture with Kyoya.

All the guests were saying their goodbyes as they all went their separate ways. It was a bittersweet feeling as their vacation came to an end. The Ootori family was getting ready to leave after the usual pleasantries have been exchanged with those that mattered.

"Kyoya! Let's take a picture before we leave."

Kyoya sighed. "We're both going back to Tokyo anyways."

"That's different. Besides, we're going to London first before going home. My aunt has a lunch scheduled with the Dutchess of Cambridge." Chizuru dragged him and forced him to take a selfie with her.

Mikazuki smiled as she watched her son and his friend. It looks like her plan worked. Ever since Tamaki and Haruhi left for Boston, she felt like Kyoya's been a bit sad. She had a feeling Kyoya treasured the Host Club that now the dynamics were going to be slightly different he wasn't quite himself. The change was so subtle that maybe Kyoya didn't even notice it himself. But a mother saw through these things clearly.

"Can you leave already?" Kyoya smiled darkly. "I think we have more than enough pictures already.

"I got it. I'll go now." Chizuru started to walk away, but before she left she turned around and smiled. It was her gut feeling telling her something.

"I'm not sure if this would help but when your brain and heart aren't on the same page" Chizuru smiled and pointed at towards Kyoya's chest. "This is the answer."

Little did Chizuru know the weight of her words that day. It made Kyoya take the big leap. He called the other hosts in Japan the following day and suggested they move to Boston before summer vacation ended. They were all bound to study abroad at some point so they might as well go together.

In the same way that Kyoya wasn't aware how vital his presence was at that time. He didn't know that it was this trip that made Chizuru decide to become a doctor herself. He gave her the courage to go reach beyond the norm. He taught her to how fight discreetly. He taught her lessons that brought her to the path where she was now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a long one.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Titanic or A walk to remember or Ouran.
> 
> I hope this chapter explains how their relationship started. I wanted to show how it slowly formed. They were initially very formal with each other then they got turned into a duo of sorts. It should justify why they're so close since they both learned something vital from each other.
> 
> Again, I'd love to read your thoughts, feelings, and everything.


	7. The Surprise

Kaoru looked at the raindrops hit the glass. The large glass windows and white walls were unusually comforting. How was he already in his mid-twenties? It felt like time was flying by so fast that he couldn't catch up. He had no idea what to do. He could hear Kyoya typing away as he stared blankly with his thoughts as company.

It was odd, but somehow Kyoya's room was the preferred area for random get togethers with the other hosts. They showed up regardless of the occasion usually without an invite from Kyoya. He didn't even have to be there for them to hangout in his room.

"What are we going to do?" Kaoru stared at the glass once more. He just ended his life as a university student and the thought of unknown was killing him. The existential life crisis during his twenties came.

"Work." Kyoya answered without even looking at him.

Somehow, Mori entered the room and sat on the couch. The two were surprised with his sudden arrival. Their upperclassman was the epitome of peace, balance, and apparently eyebags. He got into the most competitive law internship program in the country and it was spartan training from there.

"Mori-senpai, are you okay?" Kaoru asked out of concern. They've never seen him looked so stressed.

Mori sat down seiza style and started doing deep breathing exercises. He wanted to quit, but he was too far in to stop his studies. They usually had these weird late-night bonding sessions when something went wrong. Misery loved company.

"I seriously thought we would have had it all figured out." Kaoru leaned against the couch. "My high school self-imagined I'd be at the peak of my career by now making designs and having my own shows."

Kyoya shook his head as he continued working. "Well, that's not the case."

The reality of being part of the workforce was a wake up call for them. A lot of people from Ouran imagined that once they joined the workforce, everything would be paved up for them. That they would already be at the top of it all from the start. All the books and movies showed people in their twenties living their best accomplished lives. No one ever mentioned how unrealistic that was.

"Kyoya, what happened to your plan of starting your own company?" Kaoru knew very well how much Kyoya wanted to leave the Ootori Group and start on his own.

"I'll have to set it aside for now." Kyoya finally stopped working.

It was funny because all Kyoya wanted before was to be named heir and now that there's a higher chance he was going to be his father's successor, he didn't want it. Akito was a hard worker, but he wasn't like Yuuichi who had that x-factor. Kyoya knew that the competition was mainly between the two of them, but with his eldest brother gone he felt like there was nothing to fight for anymore. The drive that fueled him to do better dampened.

Kyoya knew exactly what it was they needed. He excused himself and went to their wine cellar. He knew they all needed a drink to cheer themselves up. He came back shortly with their usual aged Suntory Gin to lift their spirits.

"Who would have thought you and Kyoya weren't immune to this." Kaoru laughed as he spoke to Mori.

Tamaki, Haruhi, and Honey were probably the only ones who knew exactly what they wanted at this point. Tamaki was busy running Suoh Enterprises directly under his father. Haruhi was almost done with law school, and Honey's toy making business was creating a storm nationwide. The rest of them had no idea what was in store for them. The lies they told themselves as teens showed how life can play cruel tricks.

"Why did you bring four glasses?" Kaoru asked Kyoya.

"I'm assuming another regular will show up." Kyoya sat beside the two and opened the bottle. He passed it to Mori who wordlessly drank.

Hikaru was in the room within minutes. His eyes were bright with excitement as he got out of his slump. He finally found it. The thing he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He told the trio about his plans to go to California to continue his studies there and so he can start working in the tech industry like his father.

Kaoru was happy for this brother. It served as a source of inspiration for him. Hikaru had the worst existential crisis. They watched Hikaru turn into a frenzy. He thought that maybe they'd all find their way soon. They'll all get there in their own time. No one knew that night was going to be their last night of sulking. A year later, Mori was already a certified lawyer. A few months after that, Kaoru had his first magazine cover with his own design being worn by the model. When they all found their place, time moved even faster and little did they notice how quickly six years went by.

* * *

Kyoya walked as fast as he could. It was an unofficial job description of his to accompany VIP patients. Apparently, Ageha Hitachiin got into an accident with her brothers. He parked his car and walked to the main lobby. His Sunday off started on the wrong foot. He didn't even have time to have breakfast or coffee.

Hikaru and Kaoru called him at an ungodly hour screaming and panicking as they rushed their sister to the emergency department. How could they have let their sister climb one of the chandeliers back home?

The sound of the hospital PA system played in the background. He walked past the newest wing of the facility. The lobby was filled with patients, healthcare professionals, and all sorts of people. He could already see the queue for the emergency room. Sundays were the worst for doctors since a lot of people decided to get sick so they could avoid the Monday blues.

At least, he still had time to buy some breakfast or else he was going to pass out. Though the universe had a way of rubbing things in his face. He went down one of the main exits and saw the coffee shop line was longer than expected, but he saw his free pass.

Kyoya took out his phone to make an important call. "Can you get me coffee?"

"Did you want scones with that?" Chizuru answered with her phone placed between her ear and shoulder as she signed a few documents while standing in line. She turned around and waved at Kyoya who stood at the other end of the hall.

"Yes."

"You've got impeccable timing. Can I have an additional two orders of the bacon scones." Chizuru handed her card to the cashier.

"And croissant with jam." Kyoya added.

"And another order of croissant with jam." Chizuru repeated. "I'll have it to go."

"I'll go ahead. Hikaru and Kaoru should be on their way to the VIP ward already."

"Got it. I'll meet you there."

Most people thought that Kyoya Ootori would have opted for some sort of special treatment, but he preferred to be a little bit more discreet. It was the opposite of what happened with Yuuichi when he was still alive. He didn't mean it, but since everyone knew that he was the eldest born son of Yoshio Ootori. He got plenty of perks. Kyoya only assumed he had a different view because of the length of time he studied overseas. There was something with studying in America that made him want to be more self-sufficient.

Prior to leaving home, he never realized how dependent he was on maids, drivers, and security. It was a norm that he was accustomed to. Since living conditions overseas were slightly different, he learned to cope with a slightly more normal version of living.

But he wasn't a man of simple tastes. Definitely not.

"Kyoya! There you are." Kaoru tried to catch his breath as he stood a few feet from Kyoya. "Sorry for making you go here."

Kyoya bowed his head politely. "I'm simply following protocols. I need to personally make sure everything is suited to Ageha's needs."

"They already took her x-ray and the surgeon said she can have her operation today." Kaoru closed his eyes. "I told Hikaru to watch her. I swear he's impossible."

"You expected Hikaru to watch her properly?"

"I guess that's a fault on my part." Kaoru rubbed the back of his head. "Okaasan's gonna kill us."

"Kaoru!"

The Hitachiin middle child waved at the doctor approaching them. "Maihara-sensei."

"Don't call me that. It's weird." Chizuru cringed. It felt uncomfortable when friends called her that. She gave Kyoya's food and the three walked towards the private elevator that led to the VIP rooms.

"You have work on Sundays?" Kaoru asked.

"Correction. I'm about to get off work, but my on-call status with the VIP ward makes it almost impossible to leave on time." Chizuru took this moment to glare at Kyoya. This idea was his doing.

"It's just five additional rooms, _Maihara-sensei_." Kyoya smiled pleasantly. "Those five rooms cover the expenses of multiple departments and I believe a certain Women's center is also part of that."

"I hate it when he pulls the 'you're working for me' card." Chizuru rolled her eyes and sighed as she looked at Kaoru.

"Yeah, why does everyone want to be admitted here? And why not make it more than five rooms if a lot of people want in?" Kaoru looked at his upperclassman with a puzzled expression. He only heard rumors about the illusive Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital VIP wards, but getting a room was almost impossible.

"We don't need more rooms." Kyoya mentioned. "The moment those rooms become easily accessible, no one will want them. A substantial price must be set to attract patients with a substantial amount of funds."

The pleased look on Kyoya's face made Chizuru and Kaoru feel uncomfortable. No one extorts money legally better than an Ootori.

As the elevator doors opened, several nurses and doctors greeted them. It was Kaoru's first time here, so he was surprised with the reception. It made their Ouran annual medical exam look like a joke. Chizuru made her way to the room next to the Hitachiins. Apparently, there was another VIP guest who just gave birth and Chizuru had to personally check on her.

"I always wondered why Haruhi strongly insisted on getting a regular room when she gave birth." Kaoru laughed. "She must have been shocked."

Kyoya and Kaoru went inside Ageha's room and saw her sulking as she watched cartoons. What made the VIP wards different was the fact that each room was equipped with what was considered as necessities for those who can afford it. It had a dining room, living room, an extra room for the family members, and a bathroom that even had a tub and jacuzzi.

Hikaru was on the phone pacing several times as he explained to their mother how everything unfolded.

"Ageha, how are you?" Kaoru's voice suddenly changed. It was that kind of tone people used when talking to babies.

"It doesn't hurt anymore." Ageha pouted. She was turning nine that year and it annoyed her that her brothers didn't leave her alone. She wasn't a child anymore. "Shadow King, can I go now?"

"Unfortunately, you'll have to stay here for a bit. The doctors will have you ready for your operation soon." Kyoya spoke to her like an adult. He didn't see the point in baby talking.

With a certain turn of events, Ageha was unusually fond of a special okaasan and otousan. She usually called them Shadow King and Milord respectively.

"Is Milord coming?"

Kaoru gently pat his sister's head. "He's on his way. Aren't you going to eat your breakfast, Kyoya-senpai?"

"I'll have it later."

Hikaru scratched the back of his head. He went to the dining area and made himself a sandwich. "Would it hurt you to break the professionalism? Just eat with us."

Kaoru started laughing and Kyoya shook his head in amusement. He wasn't doing it out of professionalism. He just needed some mental preparation for the arrival of the rest of the Host Club. Ever since they went their separate ways, he's enjoyed his solitude too much. Unfortunately, the source of chaos made itself known.

"Ageha?!" Tamaki slammed the door open with tears in his eyes. A haggard Haruhi trailed shortly behind him as she tried to catch her breath.

"Milord!"

"What did these two fiends do to you?" Tamaki suddenly sat beside her.

"It's not their fault. I decided to climb the chandelier."

Haruhi walked towards the hospital bed the moment she caught her breath. She walked towards Kyoya and the twins. She looked at Ageha and wondered what the fuss was all about. If a kid had that much energy, there wasn't that big of a problem.

"Good morning." Haruhi greeted her friends. Anyone can see that the woman has matured, and they could even say that she had this motherly feel to her now. "How are you guys?"

"We're in trouble, but we'll be fine." The twins answered in unison.

Haruhi looked at Kyoya and waited for him to respond.

"I'm doing well, Haruhi. There's no need for you to be concerned."

Tamaki started hugging Ageha which caused an uproar with the twins. The tables have turned all these years. Now Hikaru and Kaoru were the one's begging Ageha to say she was being harassed by Milord.

"You're too coldhearted for not showing up as much." Haruhi said as she looked at the four people making most of the noise in the room. This statement hit Kyoya differently. Haruhi learned a few tricks with how to handle people. She wasn't as dense as before.

"I've been busy with work." Kyoya kept his answer generic.

"Chizuru told me that your business was doing well." Haruhi's brown eyes looked at him. "We're all worried about you."

"We're getting good numbers so far." Kyoya pushed his glasses. The competition his system craved for was there as his company was going against certain services of the Ootori Group. He was practically competing with himself.

Kyoya never blamed his circumstance, but his initial plans of starting his own company was scrapped because of the death of his mother and brother. He had to delay his dreams since he had a duty towards his family. It was only now that he had some free time to grow it.

Besides, he couldn't say or admit it himself, but he felt somewhat left behind. In terms of his career, he was stuck with the position assigned to him. His friends were already reaping the benefits of their position. It also included another aspect that he refuses to acknowledge. Tamaki had Haruhi. Honey had Reiko. Mori recently accepted the arranged marriage proposal. Kaoru had a stable relationship. Hikaru had plenty of flings here and there, but currently he was seeing someone for over three months which was a record. Both Honey and Tamaki even had their children now. It was like being the 5th wheel and he couldn't stand being pitied for being single.

"We're just worried you'd feel alone." Haruhi briefly looked at Tamaki's direction. "He talks about you almost every single day, you know. Would it hurt you to send a text message?"

"I'm doing fine, really." Kyoya assured.

As Tamaki's attention shifted from Ageha he hugged his best friend tightly. "Mon ami, how have you been? I missed you. You promised you'd call me at least once a week."

"Get off me." Kyoya said as he pushed Tamaki away.

Tamaki suddenly had this pensive smile. Being a father brought him a whole new level of maturity. He knew better than before, but he was painfully optimistic. It was naïve and almost wishful thinking that the Host Club would be together for the rest of their lives. They made sure to have monthly get togethers, but Kyoya had the worst attendance ever since they started this tradition.

"I heard you were seeing Kasumi-san." Tamaki smiled. His heart longed for Kyoya to find romance.

"I broke up with her last week."

The world came crashing down. All of Tamaki's hopes and dreams of having double dates disappeared. His inner mind theater of all of them wearing matching couple outfits was thrown out. "B-b-broke up? Why? Kyoya you're turning thirty-one this year. When will you get married?."

"She was too controlling." Kyoya pushed his glasses. It was too much for him. The woman demanded to know who gave him the plushies on his bed and if he was still in contact with this person. She even went to the point of telling him not to have any female friends because it didn't make her comfortable. The fact that stuffed animals were a gift from Fuyumi's daughter, and she was fussing over a gift given by his niece raised a red flag. He didn't need that kind of negativity in his life.

"How's Chizuru?" Haruhi asked.

"She's doing well with Saito-san." Kyoya sipped his coffee.

Haruhi sat across Kyoya and she watched him in silence. At least one of Tamaki's impulsive works of cupid worked. With Benio and Fuyumi's help, they had this idea to have Kyoya and Chizuru go on a double-blind date. A 50% success rate was enough for them.

Tamaki pulled a chair and sat beside his best friend. "I still remember it like it was yesterday. Benio called me and begged to set her up with someone." Tamaki laughed at the memory of it. It was the sort of plan he wanted to execute. He looked around and whispered. "Speaking if which, she's arriving today, right?"

Before Kyoya could confirm, Ageha's grim mood turned into a different spectrum. The youngest Hitachiin idolized Chizuru to the fact that she was talking about going to St. Lobelia for high school. As her proxy parents, he and Tamaki had to keep the secret from the twins and Chizuru.

"Chizu-neesan!" Ageha called. "Are you going to be my doctor?"

Chizuru stood beside Ageha with a few doctors trailing behind her. She laughed lightly at her comment. "If I'm your doctor, your brothers might be charged for murder by now."

She can only imagine what Hikaru and Kaoru would do if Ageha needed to see an Obstetrician-Gynecologist earlier than expected.

"This big guy behind me will be your doctor." Chizuru said as she sat on the edge of the bed. "This is Kasai-sensei. He'll tell you what to do."

"I don't want him. I want you to be my doctor." Ageha wasn't taking no for an answer.

Kaoru consoled his sister. "Ageha, Chizu-neesan is a different kind of doctor. The one you need is someone who can fix your bones."

The surgeon laughed. He was just a few years older than Chizuru, but he has his own daughter, so he knew how to handle this. "Maybe in the future Ageha-chan you'll have Chizu-neesan, but I'll tell you a secret."

The man bent down and pretended to whisper. "Maihara-sensei doesn't know how to fix bones. She asked for my help so we can fix your arm."

"Okay." Ageha looked at Chizuru.

The surgeon ran through the entire procedure with Hikaru and Kaoru. They were scheduled to undergo the procedure tonight. Chizuru went to where Tamaki and Haruhi were. Her job was done.

"Will Honey and Mori come?" Chizuru sat on the edge of the table.

"Honey said he'll try to come. Mori is on his way with his fiancé." Haruhi replied.

"Ah, his fiancé is here already." Chizuru grinned. "She's a patient of friend of mine from the dermatology department."

Kyoya rolled his eyes. "Everyone is practically your friend. Is there anyone you aren't close with?"

"Oi, Kyoya. Your skin is in amazing condition because my friend developed those skin care products." Chizuru defended.

Chizuru cleared her throat and gestured for the hosts to look at Kyoya's face. He didn't go beyond the usual facial wash before this, but in half a year of seeing a dermatologist the results were amazing.

"That's what changed." Kaoru gasped. "I was trying to pinpoint why Kyoya-senpai had a different feel."

It put Haruhi's natural skin to shame. Kyoya had clear skin to begin with, but now it was practically flawless skin. Not a single pore could be seen, and he always looked like he had a full eight hours of sleep and twelve glasses of water. The power of science was something to behold.

"Can I meet this friend of yours?" Kaoru bit his lip. Whatever it was Kyoya was getting, he wanted it.

"Count me in too." Hikaru raised his hand. They weren't getting any younger and he was clinging to whatever youthfulness he had left.

Out of fear of being left out, Tamaki raised his hand as well. "Haruhi and I will join too."

"What did I tell you?" Chizuru crossed her arms. Kyoya was against the whole procedure, but Chizuru insisted on him getting a personalized skin regimen. She came up with some excuse about money that would convince Kyoya to go there. In reality, one of the doctors there had a huge crush on him and she lost a bet so she needed to find a way to make Kyoya's visit to the dermatology deparment more frequent. Chizuru's nosy personality just had a way of making things possible.

"Very well. I'll ask the doctor to go here later." Kyoya took out his phone to message the concerned set of employees. He was initially just aiming for Kaoru but having the rest of the Hosts wouldn't hurt.

Chizuru excused herself shortly after so she could freshen up before she left for work. The hosts used this as a perfect excuse to bond now. The last time they saw each other was at Nekozawa wedding. It's not like they had all the time in the world to just clear their schedule.

"Shiro?!" Kaoru greeted. "Is that really you?"

The twins placed their arms around the naughty host. They didn't know the he was now a doctor.

Tamaki greeted Shiro with valor and delight. "Oh my protégé, how is it I'm so talented to have lead you into such a noble path?"

Haruhi glanced at Kyoya and shook her head. She did question her life choices from time to time. Kyoya had nothing more to say as he shrugged his shoulders.

Shiro pressed his lips together. He was surprised that Tamaki hasn't changed one bit. He finally found the person he needed, and he handed a piece of paper to Kyoya. "Ootori-sama, we're in need of your assistance. Maihara-sensei left a note with her instructions."

Kyoya sighed he stretched his arm and took the note. Chizuru's handwriting looked more like a chicken scratching gibberish on paper and he was the only person who could read it. "I am expecting a patient to arrive today. The patient's name is Maiko Fuji who is admitted due to…"

Kyoya shifted the angle of the paper and squinted his eyes. "endometriosis?"

The rest of the Hosts wondered how bad Chizuru's handwriting could get. No one really wrote that much like before. Texts and emails were the norm now. They looked at the scribbles written on the piece of paper and wondered how Kyoya could decipher the hieroglyphics.

"I believe this says 'Start her preoperative fluids upon admission and schedule her for the operation tomorrow afternoon after my last case."

Shiro bowed several times and thanked him. Everyone in the hospital knew only Kyoya could read Chizuru's handwriting. That was exactly why he invested in the digitizing all the information about their patients, but the traditional pen and paper method can't be avoided sometimes.

"Shiro-kun, is there a possibility you can move up the schedule instead?" Kyoya glanced briefly at Tamaki who was about to burst into tears. His hard work was about to go to waste if Chizuru had an operation scheduled by dinner.

Shiro shook his head. "The morning cases are filled."

Kyoya nodded. "I understand."

"You'll find a way, okaasan?" Tamaki pouted.

"Of course." Kyoya took his phone and made a few calls. There were a few things he could pull off because of his family and this was certainly something he could do with ease.

* * *

Chizuru finally got off work. She was lucky that she had a lot of sleep last night. Their department required a senior physician when a VIP patient was admitted. It was a miracle that she was able to sleep from one in the morning until five without any interruptions. No emergency calls.

It was already nine in the morning. She was supposed to leave by seven, but how could she leave when Ageha was there? She had to promise the young lady that she'll be back right before her operation.

"Where are you going?" Kyoya asked as he walked to his car.

Chizuru smiled. She placed her daily work bag, a custom-made monogram Louis Vuitton speedy, on the passenger seat. "Shopping. I deserve a new bag. You wanna come?"

"No thanks. I'm going home." Kyoya declined. He wanted to take a nap first before the unthinkable happened. Benio and Hinako wanted to surprise Chizuru since it's her birthday tomorrow. It's a good thing Ageha would be discharged by then so the surprise party was going to happen as originally planned.

If there was any plus side to Tamaki now, it was how he didn't need Kyoya to do such menial tasks such as thinking of what kind of food to serve and decorations. He went through the things he had to do this coming week. His body went on autopilot as he continued on in deep thought. A meticulous plan such as this one needed a lot of preparation. He was almost surprised to see himself standing in front of his apartment.

A certain black feline was protesting because someone left in such a hurry that morning. He made his presence known to his slave as he rubbed himself against Kyoya's legs as Kyoya took off his shoes and changed into his indoor slippers.

"Sorry about that, Noel." Kyoya picked up the feline and took the premium canned food that suited the cat's tastes.

Kyoya watched Noel eat in peace. "Is it good?"

The cat looked at him briefly and continued his meal.

"I guess it is."

Kyoya cherished his solitude. He didn't have much of this back in high school or college. It was only now that he truly had time for himself. He took the book he was reading and propped himself up on the coach. He didn't realize that he fell asleep halfway through reading his book. By the time he woke up, it was already four in the afternoon.

* * *

Benio Amakusa took off her shades and looked at the apartment complex Chizuru currently stayed at. She didn't expect any less from the woman. It was one of those fancy apartments that had a uniform security system where non-residents couldn't enter unless they had a personal code. Luckily, Kyoya was kind enough to host them until Chizuru returned.

Hinako was about to pin the code that rang the doorbell to Kyoya's unit. They looked at the camera installed and tried to decipher how to go about this security system. Luckily, Kyoya opened the main entrance before they pressed anything.

"Good afternoon, Amakusa-san, Tsuwabuki san." Kyoya greeted. He had a feeling they were already there, so he decided to head down to the lobby and properly escort his guests.

Hinako was surprised. The man lived up to his omnipotent reputation. Chizuru said that he knows things before people even know that they know it. She didn't think it was this accurate.

"Thank you so much for having us." Hinako greeted cheerfully. "There's no need to be so formal with us. I'm so sorry for the trouble we're causing."

"It's nothing." Kyoya bowed his head slightly. "Do you need any help with your luggage?"

Benio flipped her hair and winked at Kyoya. "We can manage, Kyoya-kun. Now, tell me how our darling Chizuru has been."

"She's busy with work." Kyoya replied as they entered the elevator.

"Kyoya-san, what floor is Chizuru's apartment?" Hinako shifted on her weight alternately as the elevator went up.

"12th floor."

"Where do you stay?"

"The 12th floor as well."

Benio and Hinako looked at each other. "You're sure she's not home?"

"Yes."

"How will we get in her place?"

The elevator doors opened and Kyoya escorted them to Chizuru's apartment. The two girls watched him enter the code to Chizuru's apartment and he looked at the mass of books piled on the dining table. Chizuru was working on a paper that she needed to discuss in a medical conference. They made a study about the common causes of ovarian cancers and there were significant data that needed to be reported to the minister of health.

"She hasn't changed one bit." Hinako looked at the stacks of paper where Chizuru had her notes and laughed. "Even her handwriting's still bad."

Benio gasped. "It got worse. It mimics Picasso now. Before her penmanship had a more impressionistic feel to it."

Kyoya wanted to laugh at that statement. That was a more creative was of stating it.

"Would you like something to drink?" Kyoya offered.

"Chizuru should have something here." Hinako said confidently as she opened Chizuru's pantry and refrigerator which was filled with take out food.

Benio's lips quivered. "Has our darling Suzuran been living like a common beggar?"

Kyoya wanted to answer that question. She was a common beggar. Her kitchen had stacks of coffee and some instant oatmeal. Chizuru could do plenty of things and was a fast learner, but cooking was something she was better off not doing. The last time Chizuru cooked, they had to skip work for a day because of diarrhea. So, she practically ate at his house. Like it became his responsibility to feed her and Noel.

"I'll bring something over. Is there anything you want to have?"

"The infamous commoner noodles, Kyoya-kun." Benibara held his hands as she spoke. "I've heard Tamaki saying that there was this new flavor he tried."

"Benio." Hinako scolded. "Please, anything is fine. I apologize for Benio's rudeness."

Before Kyoya could do anything, they heard the door unlock and the two girls ran as fast as they could to hide.

"Oi, Kyoya what are you doing here?" Chizuru said as she placed her newly purchased bag on the side table.

"I was looking for instant noodles."

"As if you don't know where I keep it." Chizuru went to the pantry and opened the hidden wealth of instant food that kept her alive. "Did you want a certain flavor?"

"The one Tamaki was raving about the other day." Kyoya glanced quickly at the two girls who hid their luggage and bags before Chizuru noticed.

"The spicy one?"

"Yes." Kyoya replied absentmindedly as he tried to obscure Chizuru's peripheral vision. He held onto the packets of instant noodles and went to the kitchen.

Chizuru didn't notice anything yet until she smelled something familiar. Channel No. 5 perfume. She stood beside Kyoya and sniffed him. "It's not you."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure if I was hallucinating, but I could smell Benio's perfume." Chizuru shook her head. She must be imagining things. There's no way Benio and Hinako could be here. They called her last night apologizing that they couldn't come home soon.

"Maybe you should turn around."

Chizuru knew that voice high pitched voice. "Hinako?!"

"You've grown more beautiful, my maiden." Benibara kissed Chizuru's forehead out of habit.

The three girls hugged each other tightly and were screaming hysterically as they jumped around. The last time they saw each other was Christmas. Benio and Hinako's job required a lot of traveling so they haven't been able to stay in Japan as much as they'd like. Kyoya was about to leave the room discreetly and let the three catch up but Chizuru pulled him into the hug as well.

"I'm so glad you're here." Chizuru hugged the two women again.

"Of course, we wouldn't miss your surprise birthday party for anything." Benio answered confidently.

Hinako and Kyoya looked at the woman. There was an awkward silence when realization set in. Benio laughed nervously as she fixed Chizuru's hair. "Ah…I mean…birthday dinner."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear anything." Chizuru smiled back. She glanced at Kyoya and gave him that looked that asked if he had anything to do with the surprise party tomorrow.

He shrugged his shoulders and took this as his queue to leave. "I'll leave the three of you alone."

"Thank you Kyoya-kun." Benio replied dramatically. "How fortunate are we, Hinako? We're so lucky that Chizuru has someone so capable looking out for her."

"Why the sudden change of heart? You hated him the most." Hinako muttered. A few years ago, Benio didn't trust the Ootori one bit and scolded Chizuru for letting such a shady character into her life. Now she practically worshiped the man.

"Shall we have dinner?" Benio paced around the room. "I want to thank Kyoya-kun for all the help he's done."

Chizuru bit her lip. She wasn't sure what it was he did, but dinner seemed like a good idea. She messaged Kyoya and stressed that he couldn't refuse.

* * *

The four of them went to a yakiniku place that was a fifteen-minute walk from the apartment. It was a restaurant the two went to frequently. The two women watched the other pair harmoniously eating. Hinako and Benio weren't sure how to react as they watched. It was a good thing they were in a private room or else things would have been different.

The two women felt like they lost their appetite already as they watched even more. They don't remember Chizuru having this kind of eating habits.

"You don't have to act so formal in front of them." Chizuru rolled her eyes as she assured Kyoya. "Relax."

They watched the dynamic of Chizuru dividing the side dishes and Kyoya grilling meat. It was like a conveyor belt in a factory. What Benio and Hinako didn't know was Kyoya liked eating tasty food as much as Chizuru. Kyoya just wasn't as vocal about it, but he went to all sorts of places to eat. He didn't go to over-hyped restaurants and he had a stringent set of standards for the place to be considered as something he'd go back to regularly.

Kyoya placed the meat on Chizuru's plate and took some edamame. "Try this. They cooked the edamame in soy sauce and boiled it with the broth they used for the soup."

Chizuru closed her eyes. "It's so good. The saltiness is just right."

"Yes, the flavor is nicely balanced. It's quite surprising considering the simplicity of the dish." Kyoya commented.

She took one of the herbs and used it to wrap the grilled meat and she added some radish to it. "Try this one. It tastes different, but it's really good. How come we didn't order this before?"

Benio and Hinako were shocked because Chizuru practically fed it to Kyoya. They watched the man nod in agreement. Then he made this discreet eye contact that brought Chizuru back to reality. She forgot that not a lot of people knew that they loved eating to a fault. They became that kind of duo that had their own world.

Kyoya cleared his throat. "I apologize for that. Chizuru can get carried away sometimes when it comes to food."

"Yes, yes. I'm the one with the food problem." Chizuru sighed. She willingly took the blame.

"No, go ahead." Benio pushed more side dishes to their side of the table.

"Do you cook, Kyoya-san?" Hinako asked. She was quite surprised with how well-mannered the two were was considering how messy the food was.

"He's such a great cook. He can cook pasta, steak, and he can even make his own bread" Chizuru replied enthusiastically. Kyoya kept that hobby of his hidden from the world. His Ootori pride would be hurt if people knew he cooked better than half of the women in the country. "I think that's the only reason why I'm still alive until now."

Hinako started laughing. "Is that why you didn't have any food in your apartment."

Chizuru nodded.

Kyoya heard his phone ring and he stood up. "Please excuse me, I have to take this."

The three girls watched him leave the private room. They could vaguely hear his voice and they knew he was talking to his father. It didn't interest them any further, but Hinako and Benio had a lot of questions in their mind now. Kyoya got back to the room before the two girls could get some answers from Chizuru.

"Otousama wants to talk to you." Kyoya handed his phone to Chizuru. As usual, his father called about work. They didn't really talk about anything else.

"Otousama, it's your favorite adopted daughter." Chizuru greeted with a familiarity that surprised Benio and Hinako.

Honestly, it surprised Kyoya at first, but Chizuru was known for getting close to everyone and that included his father. He got used to it at some point.

"Of course, I've been eating well…No, no, Kyoya hasn't been killing me at work." Chizuru went on. "When will you visit the hospital again? You've been stuck in the main office. Haven't you thought about how lonely your adopted daughter can get? Otousama, you should take care of yourself more. I'll visit you next week we can play mahjong with okaasan and obaasama."

Chizuru gave back Kyoya's phone and continued on eating like nothing happened. Not even Kyoya had the ability to charm his father like that. It was a good thing Chizuru was generally a nice person or else she would have been a dangerous person

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Benio and Hinako are in the story.
> 
> I wanted to write about the crisis a lot of people get after college. It's such a common thing to face so why not let our poor hosts experience the same thing. Again, I'd like to hear your thoughts and feelings more. I really like writing this chapter because it was really light and you can never have too much slice of life moments.
> 
> Thank you for the reviews and follows! I hope you'll continue to read this story. I really want to hear more comments since I'm not sure if I'm doing this as well as I should. Since I've never seen a story with this theme of having Kyoya and Chizuru as main characters I really really want to know what you guys think with how I'm doing this. It's a bit challenging for me since I have limited information about Chizuru from the anime and manga. It's totally different from writing OCs since you dictate everything about them.


	8. The Realization

After their dinner and successful surprise attempt, this was the perfect thing to do to catch up. An all girls adult sleepover wouldn't be complete without some wine, cheese, and lots of gossip. Even after all that food they ate, there was always room for some wine and cheese. The two women had their facemasks on while sipping their wine. Benio was still taking a bath so Hinako thought was the perfect time to ask Chizuru.

Their trio was quite simple. Benio was the liveliest amongst them. Always the one starting something. Hinako was the smartest. She always knew what to do and had a solution for everything. Chizuru kept things together. Her relatively docile nature when compared to Benio kept the balance. She was always their source of strength. So, Hinako was careful with how she and Benio broke the news to their friend back then. She honestly didn't notice her senpai's feelings until a few days before they became official.

As she fixed her hair and she wanted to ask all sorts of things. In her mind, was already interrogating Chizuru. _'Do you see yourself dating Kyoya?' 'Do you love him?' 'Are you really happy with who you're dating?' 'Are you really just friends?' 'Why in the world do you call Yoshio Ootori otousama?' 'Don't you notice the look he's giving you?! Don't you notice how you look at him?!'_

Chizuru was drying her hair with a towel as she stared at her friend. "You look troubled. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing." Hinako laughed weakly. Her thoughts dissipated as quick as it came. "I was just thinking how things would turn out tomorrow."

"I'm sure it's going to go well." Chizuru pat Hinako's back. She knew how much their youngest member always worried about all sorts of things.

"You aren't feeling too lonely without us here?" Hinako squeezed Chizuru's hand.

"I'm fine, Hinako. You don't need to worry about me and focus on what you guys want to do." Chizuru sat on the floor placed her head on Hinako's lap. "I've got plenty of company and tons of work."

"What's Yuuto-san like?"

"He's really nice and I've never met anyone funnier than him." Chizuru moved to the bed and leaned against the headboard of her bed and hugged one of her pillows.

"Are you happy with him?"

Chizuru nodded. "So far. We're just dating each other. It's far too early to assume anything, really."

"Are you happy in the way you want to be happy?" Hinako knew Chizuru's bad habit of being pressured by the expectations of other people. She sometimes did stupid things because she didn't want to make others feel bad.

No answer met her question. Hinako wasn't sure if her friend didn't know the answer to that or Benio's arrival interrupted her chance to reply.

"Shall we watch a movie?" Benio sat down between the two. "A Walk to Remember? It's your birthday tradition, right?"

"Let's watch it." Chizuru changed the topic quickly.

On the other side of the wall was someone who upheld that tradition. This person's seen this movie almost ten times, but it's the first time he's watching it by himself. A certain feline made its way to his master's lap and curled up.

Kyoya knew this seen all too well. Landon pulls Jamie to the middle of the road and instructs her to stand with her legs slightly apart.

_"You're acting like a crazy person. What's going on?" Jamie asked._

_"Well, right now you're straddling the state line."_

_"Okay?"_

_"You're in two places at once."_

It was also tradition that they made sure that the exact moment Jamie was standing in two places coincided at 12 midnight. Kyoya looked at his phone and sent Chizuru a text.

_"Happy birthday."_

* * *

Kyoya played along with Tamaki's whims. He "distracted" Chizuru as they were about to leave. The surprise was over anyways, but Chizuru insisted with going through the whole thing. She felt bad considering how much effort Tamaki and Benio placed just for her. To be honest, this was the first surprise birthday party she had.

"Should we visit him?" Kyoya offered. He knew why Chizuru didn't have a grand celebration it was slightly bittersweet for her. Being a creature of habit, they unconsciously developed certain traditions on occasions like these.

"It's been awhile since I've seen niisan. We should visit your mother and Yuuichi-niisan too." Chizuru started to walk the opposite direction. "I'll meet you at the parking entrance. I'll get them flowers first."

She didn't give Kyoya a chance to decide and went straight to the flower shop in the hospital. Kyoya's mother loved lilies. Chizuru wasn't sure what Yuuichi liked, but she was getting him a nice bouquet of hydrangeas.

"May I have a can I have one bouquet each of lilies, hydrangeas, and sunflowers?" Chizuru asked.

"Shall I wrap it individually?"

"Yes, please."

A brief memory of Kyoya first learning how to cook entered her mind. He was trying to make the roast chicken recipe his mother always made by memory and was failing horribly at it. When his mother and brother died, Chizuru was sure that he missed them even when he acted like nothing was wrong. She pretended not to notice that he tried to cook the food his mother made when he missed her. It was a good thing Fuyumi was given a copy of all the recipes their mother used.

Chizuru sat down and waited for the florist to prepare the flowers. Time has healed them in a way. When she thought about her brother, she didn't cry anymore. All she had were good memories now. She could say the same thing about Kyoya. For a few years, it was like he just moved out of routine without any purpose. He didn't even realize he was grieving and dismissed it as a slump of sorts. Now, he was one of the closest father figures Yuuichi's son had.

She took the flowers and saw Kyoya's car parked near the main entrance. Sometimes she wonders how he seems to have impeccable timing without fail.

"You didn't have to bring the car here." Chizuru said as she placed the flowers in the back.

"It's faster to meet here." Kyoya glanced briefly at her.

They were silent the rest of the drive to the cemetery. It wasn't too far from the city. Kyoya never had the courage to visit his mother and brother by himself. Up until now, he's never gone there without Chizuru. It was almost surreal how his grief set in. At first, it felt like it was all a bad dream that he was going to wake up from then suddenly silence filled the Ootori mansion. Akito who initially had plans of living with his fiancé decided to continue living with their father. Fuyumi visited almost twice or thrice a week. Kyoya felt like the silence was suffocating him so he did everything in his power to leave.

The cemetery was on top of a hillside not too far from the city center. There was a slight drizzle when they got there. This place was the prime location that people wanted to have as their final resting spot, it was fashionable to have such a piece of land so everyone from their side of society purchased a property here for future use. The two walked down the path that lead to Chizuru's brother.

Chizuru placed the sunflowers on her brother's grave and placed her hands together. "Happy birthday, niisan."

Kyoya paid his respects as well. He bent down and removed a couple of dried leaves that piled around the grave.

There was nothing else being said. Chizuru stood there and sighed. She didn't notice that it's almost been twenty minutes and even the rain stopped. She saw a candle that look like it was lit a day or two ago. It was most likely her mother. No one else went there besides them. His death brought back memories that were to painful to recall for the rest of their family.

"Shall we visit your mother and brother now?"

Kyoya nodded as they made their way to the opposite side of the memorial garden.

"How many times have we been around this place?" Chizuru asked. She let out a short sigh as she bent down on and placed the flowers and their respective graves.

"I've lost count." Kyoya looked at a photo of his mother and brother. He never spent much time here. He usually just stood there for a minute or two then left. "Shall we go?"

"I'm not yet done talking to your mother." Chizuru replied while her eyes were shut tight.

"What in the world are you telling her?" Kyoya crossed his arms.

"I'm asking for her advice. Her youngest child is never content with anything."

Kyoya closed his eyes briefly and smiled. "She'll tell you that's how I naturally am."

"Well, now I'm asking her how I can help make her son happy. He's too busy to even do something for himself." Chizuru continued.

He looked at Chizuru skeptically. "What makes you think I'm not taking care myself?"

"When was the last time you did something just for you? Without any benefit for anyone whatsoever?" Chizuru pressed her lips with a slight frown.

"Me?" He paused not sure how to reply to her question. "How about you? What have you done for yourself?"

"I bought a new bag and a pair of shoes."

"That's not happiness. Don't disguise your irresponsible spending habits as happiness." Kyoya retaliated.

Chizuru's apartment had two rooms just dedicated for her clothes and shoes. Her salary as a senior doctor was substantial, but if she were cut off from receiving the allowance from the Maihara family business, she would definitely have a problem sustaining her lifestyle.

"So, what have you done for yourself recently?" Chizuru crossed her arms and tilted her head to one side as she looked at Kyoya.

"Last week, I had wagyu beef from Han no Daidokoro Honten. Then there's that new artisanal coffee shop near the hospital." Kyoya placed his hands in his pockets. He had a small smile which he reserved for those close to him. It was the one that just slightly reached his eyes so briefly that one wouldn't even notice it if they didn't pay close attention.

"Hey, the places we just went to don't count. We do that all the time. We always go out to eat and drink coffee." Chizuru snorted. As usual, Kyoya was avoiding her question. "You know what, forget it."

Kyoya pushed his glasses and looked at his watch. "It's about time we go. Tamaki would make too much of a fuss if we're late."

In that moment, Kyoya wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling the truth either. It was the art of omission. Though might seem like he doesn't look after himself, but he does it so often that it's already part of his routine. He watched Chizuru walk ahead as they went back to the car.

"You want to go to the that Indian restaurant in Asukasa on next weekend?"

Chizuru turned around with a huge smile on her face. "Is that one that was featured in the documentary we saw? What was the name of that place again?

"Sajilo Café."

"I think I have some free time. The owner was admitted at the hospital last week, right?" Chizuru laughed.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Chizuru!"

The French Riviera themed party was almost overwhelming. The decadence of the rich was something to behold. Although the surprise factor was slightly ruined, Chizuru was actually stunned with how well Tamaki and Benio pulled off the entire thing. Most of Chizuru's relatives, high school friends, university friends, and even people from work were there. They even managed to get a special guest to come. Yuuto Saito was the cousin of Fuyumi's husband. He also worked in the Shido family business as well.

"You said you had a business trip in Australia." Chizuru greeted him. She didn't expect to see him here.

"I wouldn't miss your birthday for anything." Yuuto was a cheerful guy. He didn't have a bad reputation and was from a good family.

As the birthday celebrant was engulfed by all her guests, Kyoya made his way to the quieter part of the room.

"Kyo-chan, I'm surprised Benio and Tamaki pulled it off so well." Honey stood beside him as they drank some champagne. "You really had no part in this?"

"Almost. I still had to do a few things like clearing her schedule and serving as a distraction." Kyoya sipped the alcoholic beverage that might as well pass for juice. It was far too sweet for his liking. The drinks had Tamaki's signature on it.

Being the eldest among all the Hosts, despite how appearances may fool the rest of the world, Honey became the mediator when things got too much for the other members. Tamaki and Kyoya didn't always work like parents and there were times when they looked more like brothers nagging at each other.

Their family transformed as they aged. Haruhi was their emotional pillar who always listened first and acted rationally. She never let her emotions overrule her judgement. Mori became the buffer of the group. He always took the first blow for all sorts of news and emotions until the energy was subdued. Hikaru was always the first one to get worked up. He reacted before his mind worked and nagged a lot. Kaoru, on the other hand, was the one who always rationalized the decisions of others. He always found the middle ground for concerned parties. Kyoya never said anything and would even act like he didn't care, but his actions spoke louder than words consistently. His mind was already brewing some sort of plan as the situation presented itself. Tamaki was a wild card. He either instigated any action Kyoya suggested, triples the energy and emotions they were experiencing, or a combination of the two.

It wasn't too different from before. They were quite consistent. For all the major events they've faced together, the roles remained consistent.

Honey watched Mori absorbing all the excess energy Tamaki and Hikaru were spewing out during the party. Tamaki and Hikaru always set the mood. There was already a commotion at the center of the room. Closer to the buffet table was Haruhi and Kaoru. They were talking with some of the guests from Ouran and kept them entertained. Meanwhile, Kyoya stood beside him carefully assessing the situation he was in before making his move.

"Kyo-chan, what are thinking about?" Honey looked at him curiously. There was no telling what ran through his mind.

"Nothing, really." Kyoya gave up and placed the champagne on the table. He couldn't pretend to drink it any longer and ordered himself a glass of brandy.

"Kyoya! Come join us!" Tamaki waved and showed the empty seat beside him. He wanted Kyoya on his team so there was a higher chance of winning at poker. He put his hands together and practically pleaded for him to join.

Kyoya rolled his eyes and slowly made his way to Tamaki. "Why does he keep joining games he can't play?"

"Can you be our representative?" Tamaki grinned as he showed who else was on his team.

A disinterested Haruhi who ate her food in peace looked at Kyoya. She gave him that look which was practically telling him that he should do at least this much so she wouldn't have to console her dejected husband. "Please, Kyoya-senpai."

"I guess it can't be helped." Kyoya sat down and faced his opponent.

"Looks like we're up against each other, Kyoya." Yuuto Saito smiled at him.

Kyoya looked at the cards he was dealt with. "Shall we start?"

He knew his enemy well. Yuuto Saito was impulsive, reckless, impatient, and tries to win through sheer intimidation. He plays big, but Kyoya wasn't going to be fooled with such a simplistic strategy. He can prolong this until his opponent crumbles on his own weaknesses.

The game went on for a few rounds and it was a close fight. Kyoya drew a card and ended his turn.

Yuuto laughed as he felt victory come close. What he didn't know was how Kyoya was starting to corner him. He was no different from antelope that fell into a den of lions.

Haruhi and Tamaki felt the tense competitive environment. Kyoya's tenacity only grew as he aged, but he held himself back at times. A quick victory wasn't always the goal. It was making people think that that they won and taking everything away. Consistently winning wasn't even a priority. It was reaping the benefits of everything that came along while playing the game. The high school Kyoya was nothing compared to who he was now. What he did then was child's play compared to now. Unfortunately, this game was more than just a mere issue of pride for the Ootori.

"I lost. I'm really no match for you." Yuuto pat Kyoya's shoulder. "Nice game."

The ever-polite smile that Kyoya practiced daily was displayed. "You played well. It was challenging to go against you."

The party went on and on. It was almost draining the life out of Mori and Kyoya who preferred their own company most of the time. Kyoya spent the rest of the night mingling with the other guests and co-workers from the hospital. Strengthening one's current network was just as good as creating new ones.

"So Ootori-san, I have to commend your efforts with expanding the conglomerate." The medical director of one of the sub-branches of their hospital commented. "Because of you, we have more services available. Our patients don't have to go all the way to the city."

"Please Watari-sensei, I was only doing the bare minimum. I couldn't even accept the credit for it. I don't think it's possible to such a feat without my team." Kyoya bowed his head politely.

"Is it true you were also managing a company of yours?" Watari-sensei asked. He was the stereotypical sixty-year-old Japanese man. Devoted to his job and provides well for his family. Follows the rules and the majority vote.

"Yes, in fact we're developing a new system that would help even small sized businesses." He didn't disclose much.

"As expected of Yoshio's son. You're a highly capable man." The man paused. "Actually, my eldest daughter is around your age as well. She's probably a few years younger. Can you humor an old man's request to meet her? She quit her job and decided to start a business on her own. You know I can't sleep properly not knowing if she has something to eat the next day."

"What kind of business is it?" Kyoya asked.

The man pulled his phone and tried to look for the photo his daughter sent. He had to stretch his arm out since like most old people, he couldn't see small letters anymore. "She started a clothing business. I think she sells night gowns."

Kyoya looked at the photo. Night gowns were an understatement. It was lingerie. Custom made lingerie was something that went beyond his expertise, but it wouldn't hurt to be owed a favor. "I'll see what I can do, Watari-sensei."

There was a sudden uproar of cheering in one side of the room. It looked like Tamaki decided to have a commoner activity that was always done at gathering such as this. Within minutes, he found himself, like some of the people in the circle, coerced to join.

"Who's turn is it to spin the bottle?" Tamaki asked.

Kaoru raised his hand. He spun the bottle and it landed on Benio.

"Truth or dare, Benibara-sama?"

"Dare."

Kaoru smirked. "I dare you to not say a word until the end of the party or else you're going to take a shot."

Hikaru took one of those tall shake glass and filled it with vodka, beer, and all sorts of hard liquor. Everyone looked at the consequence at this point.

Benio expressed her shock in silence. That would be the death of her. It would be enough to kill anyone. She wasn't going to back down.

"Alright, one more round." Kaoru spun the bottle and it landed on Mori.

"Dare."

Everyone in the circle gasped with the sudden boldness from him. Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other. This was a once in a lifetime chance. His fiancé was there so there were plenty of dares to be done. There's no way they're letting this down.

"Flick Honey-senpai's forehead." Tamaki blurted out.

Hikaru and Kaoru glared at him for being an idiot. This was their only chance to make something legitimately humiliating, but it was lost just like that.

Mori looked at his cousin and bowed.

"I'll be fine, Takashi." Honey smiled brightly.

Without any hesitation, Mori did the dare. Honey kept a brave face, but his eyes were starting to tear up. He had to be strong for Takashi. Even if it was just a dare, it hurt a lot. He couldn't let his cousin drink the whole glass of alcohol.

The game continued on and it was getting boring for Kyoya. It was basically a bunch of childish dares. They were all in their thirties. He would have assumed they would have outgrown this sort of thing.

"It's your turn Kyoya!"

Kyoya had to weigh his options. The chance of humiliating himself or to tell the truth? Most of the people around him weren't in any condition to think straight. He doubted that any substantial question or dare can be asked at this point.

"Truth"

"Have you ever gotten drunk?" Tamaki asked half drunk. He lost one of the dares so he had no choice but to take the shot Hikaru made like a man.

Hikaru and Kaoru were seriously annoyed. What kind of lame question was that?

"What kind of question is that?" Hikaru whined.

"We can't take back questions now." Kyoya replied slyly.

Hikaru gruned. "I know. I know. Have you ever gotten so drunk that you did something embarrassing?

"If yes, when and where did it happen?" Kaoru added.

No one's ever seen him drink beyond his capabilities. It was a known fact that he went overseas for his college education so everyone missed out that drinking phase with him. He assumed they were hoping he had some wild partying stories from America, but he detested clubbing. The thought of being packed in a room with strangers who had to regard for personal space was enough to drive him away. If he did go to clubs and house parties, it was because his college friends begged him. His refusal to drink during these events always got him the role of designated driver.

"During my last summer vacation of high school, I got conned into dancing on a table."

Now, even the Hosts had to stop and think. They were sure that Kyoya drank a few times with them, but he usually ended up as the most sober one. He never danced on a table.

"Who were you with?"

"Don't you think you're asking too many questions?" Kyoya spun the bottle and it landed on Chizuru.

"Oh, the birthday girl!" Tamaki exclaimed. His sheer excitement was enough to shift the attention.

"Truth or dare, Chizuru?"

"Dare!"

Finally, Hikaru and Kaoru had their chance. There was absolutely no ruining this one. Were they going to ask her to do a stupid dance? As the twins were deciding, Benio was already gesturing something to Tamaki.

"Drink this." Kaoru took the deathly glass of mixed alcohol and handed to Chizuru before Milord could ruin their plans again.

Chizuru looked at the glass and drank more than half it. She wasn't the best with alcohol tolerance and got drunk easily. She could only handle a moderate amount of wine and beer. Anything stronger than that caused problems.

"I can't finish all of this." Chizuru was already feeling tipsy since she already had quite a lot of wine before joining the game.

She felt the glass leave her hands and watched Yuuto Saito drink most of it. He placed the glass back in the center.

"Wow, someone's being direct to the point tonight." Hikaru teased.

Finally, the game ended. It was time for them to leave. It was a Monday, but people acted like it was the weekend already. As the guests started leaving, the drink made it's way to Chizuru's system who was already laughing by herself. Kyoya wanted to glare at the twins because as usual he was going to be responsible for her.

Somehow it was assumed that he was the first person to call when Chizuru got drunk. He's got the entire process memorized. There were multiple stages to Chizuru's drunken state.

The first stage was an extreme burst of energy like what was happening early.

"I'll bring her home." Yuuto offered. He watched Chizuru chat with Tamaki and Benio. The three were tipsy and their drunken conversations weren't making sense.

Kyoya bowed his head politely. "There's no need. We live close to each other."

"I can't let her just go around with anyone now, can I?" He replied as if he was a dog trying to mark his territory.

"Very well." Kyoya let him be for now. Sooner or later, Yuuto Saito would realize his error.

Kyoya took his coat and watched Yuuto struggle with handling Chizuru. He didn't feel like exerting himself for now. He was far too tired and drained from all the socializing. Hikaru and Kaoru snickered at the scene. Of course, Yuuto Saito wouldn't know what to do. He followed Chizuru who walked all over the room.

It didn't take long for the next stage to start. Stage two was the 'I'm not drunk' statement.

"Chizuru, you're drunk. It's time to go home." Yuuto chased her around while he held her coat.

"I'm not drunk." She replied as she walked.

The man placed his hand on her waist. "It's time to go home."

"Who're you? You're not Kyoooya." Chizuru suddenly blurted out.

"It's me, Chizuru." Yuuto held her close. Too close.

"You don't know the passcode." Chizuru protested. She pushed him away and walked aimlessly once again.

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at him. "You're better off asking for his help. Trust us on this."

Yuuto realized that his attempts were futile. He looked at Kyoya briefly. Kyoya knew it was time for him to step in.

"Why did you drink that much?" Kyoya looked at her. "The man you're dating is offering to bring you home. Are you an idiot?"

"Kyoya!"

"Stay away from me." Kyoya extended his arm to keep a healthy distance from her. "Start walking."

"Yes boss!" Chizuru said with a salute. She walked slowly until they found themselves close to the elevator.

It was almost time for Stage Three. Kyoya looked at his watch and stood behind her. In less than a minute, she was about to sit down and was ready to sleep right then and there. He Intercepted it and held her in a way that he was unfortunately too well accustomed to. He had to develop a strategy to carry her since he was somehow the primary emergency contact whenever she passed out like this.

"You and Chizuru are really close, neh?" Yuuto asked.

"We've been friends for some time." Kyoya replied in passing. He had to hide his struggle of carrying her. "If you'd like you can drive her home. I'll lead the way."

"That would be great."

Kyoya placed Chizuru in the front seat of Yuuto's car. She slept peacefully for now, but he knew the pattern all too well. He didn't want to overstep the boundary with Yuuto anyways. He also didn't want to clean up a mess. He just had his car cleaned.

Unfortunately, Yuuto Saito had to find out the hard way that Chizuru got motion sickness when she was drunk. When they got to the apartment complex, Kyoya feigned his concern about the mess, but he was more relieved than anything. At least it wasn't his car.

"Sorry for bothering you, Kyoya." Yuuto apologized. "I think Chizuru and I can manage from here."

"It's fine." Kyoya assured. Obviously, the man didn't know much about him. He pinned the code for Chizuru's apartment. He watched Yuuto struggle with carrying Chizuru until they got to her apartment.

"You seem to know your way around pretty well." Yuuto almost sounded suspicious.

"I've been burdened with this for a long time." Kyoya laughed politely. "I wouldn't mind passing it to someone else."

Yuuto carried a passed-out Chizuru bridal style. It was his first time in her apartment. He was about to place Chizuru on her bed.

"Please leave her on the couch." Kyoya already had a blanket and a pillow ready. "She doesn't like sleeping on her bed when she's drunk."

The man almost visibly expressed his displeasure with how close the two were. He looked at Kyoya warily the entire time until they left Chizuru's apartment. They stood at the hallway for a few minutes. It was like as if Yuuto was waiting for Kyoya to walk towards the elevator.

"Aren't you leaving?" Yuuto's true colors showed. "I'm not comfortable with Chizuru hanging too closely with other guys."

He really was too simple. It was almost too boring for him now. Kyoya would have rolled his eyes visibly, but he wouldn't let himself come across as impolite. He was still related with Fuyumi-neesan's husband.

"Thank you for your help tonight." Kyoya went to the door right beside Chizuru's apartment and entered the passcode.

Yuuto Saito stood there in the hallway. His pride was slapped right then and there. He felt embarrassed with how he just acted. He was also slightly annoyed since Kyoya probably knew that Chizuru was going to make a mess in the car.

Kyoya wasn't the type to pry, but contrary to popular belief he still had a conscience that told him to do otherwise. It was Fuyumi who ultimately set him up with Chizuru. Yuuto Saito worked closely with their family and it was a good match

He didn't want to break the news to Chizuru. He was in no position to tell her that he saw her boyfriend coming out of a hotel with another woman at 3:00 am when he was supposed to be in Australia for business.

"It's not my business to pry, but I think you should tell Chizuru." Kyoya said. He didn't even have to elaborate.

The look on the man's face was enough for them to have a mutual understanding that they were on the same page. For Yuuto, it was just a one-time mistake. For Kyoya, it was just a poor excuse of a mistake.

"Between us men, she plays hard to get." Yuuto shrugged his shoulders.

Yuuto casually pat Kyoya's shoulder hoping that this kind of man to man talk made sense to him. "I was hoping that we'd have some alone time together. If you know what I mean."

He laughed for a moment. "Sorry, this must be awkward for you since you're her _friend_."

Kyoya didn't reciprocate the gesture. His face was void of any emotion.

"Damn, you're quite a serious guy." Yuuto laughed again hoping to break the awkwardness of it all. "It was nothing serious anyways. There's no need to blow things out of proportion."

"I'm not asking why you did it. I'm just saying you should be honest with her." Kyoya spoke politely, but there was something in his voice. He hated this kind of excuse. He's seen it happen too many times to Chizuru. Every single time it happened, he had to be the one to pick up the pieces until someone broke it again.

"Why? What's it to you?" Yuuto raised his brow and snorted. He admitted his guilt without any hesitation. "Besides, it wasn't something serious. Just a one-time thing. It won't happen again."

"Don't treat her like a fool." Kyoya warned. "She's too good for you."

"What did you say, bastard?" Yuuto glared at Kyoya. He wasn't hearing this kind of talk from him.

Kyoya ignored him and maintained his gaze. He wasn't stooping down to his level.

"I can't believe this. Do you have feelings for her? I know you two are close, but really."

Kyoya smiled. "You're too old fashioned, Yuuto-san. Is common decency a foreign concept to you?"

Kyoya knew he had nothing more to say and unlocked his door. "You need to make sure you tell her, or I'll do it myself. It's up to you how she'll get the news."

Yuuto Saito has never felt more scared in his life. Kyoya Ootori was not one to be made light of. He never realized how much the man has been holding back because they were related through marriage. He still had his pride as a man and left quickly.

* * *

Chizuru sat in silence as she watched Kyoya make her some noodles. She's never worked so hard for anything in the past 26 years of her life. Her eyes were still swollen. The first person she genuinely liked after Benio was just taking her for a ride. How could her girlfriend ask her to choose between their relationship or her job?

"She asked me to move to France with her." Chizuru slumped on her seat. "I can't do that. Not when I'm not yet done with my training."

Chizuru was recently appointed at the Chief Resident. She was on her final year of training and she wasn't going to give it away. She's worked so hard to reach her goal and no other person could take that away from her.

Kyoya sat opposite her and handed her a bowl of noodles. He didn't say anything. He wasn't sure what to say because he agreed with her sentiments. He wasn't going to compromise his career for such a ridiculous gamble. Love was a fleeting feeling, but the fulfillment he got from working was something else.

"I'm still mad at you for getting this apartment." Chizuru said before slurping her noodles.

"Just because you wanted the same unit doesn't mean I'm going to give it." Kyoya replied as he blew on his noodles. Ignoring the steam that formed on his glasses.

"That's why I got the unit beside it."

"It's a more reasonable option for you." Kyoya handed her a glass of water. "This one's slightly smaller and I don't think your clothes would fit."

"But this one has a better view and a larger balcony." Chizuru started crying again. It was a choice between a better view and balcony for a few feet of extra closet space.

"What difference does it make? You're here most of the time." Kyoya sighed. He thought he would have solitude now that most of his friends were busy with their lives. Better Chizuru than Tamaki though. He thought he was going to go insane after sharing an apartment with Tamaki in America.

"Don't forget the board meeting on Friday." Chizuru said in passing. She was sure that he didn't forget anyways.

"Of course, I'll have the documents ready by then." Kyoya looked at her briefly. She's had a difficult week and things aren't easier now since she was closer to being named as heir to Maihara Properties.

It was the business Yukio Maihara wanted for himself. Although he was in the exportation and travel business, this was the main source of funds for their family. It was by sheer luck that her great great great grandfather bough plenty of land with what used to be a wilderness years ago. No one would have imagined that this wilderness would be the bustling city called Tokyo. They owned a substantial amount of prime locations in the city and this went along to other tourist locations outside of Tokyo. Their entire family just sat down without lifting a finger and money just came pouring.

This is why they were able to expand in other businesses, jobs, or hobbies that they wanted to do for themselves. Chizuru's eldest cousin decided to become a priest and left a few years ago. Leaving his shares with Chizuru. Somehow, it trickled down and her other cousin left for Tibet and entered a temple. They both transferred their shares to their youngest cousin making her a majority shareholder. Both of them have transcended to a life that saw beyond the materialistic world.

"Will you be okay?" Kyoya crossed his arms. He was officially going to represent Chizuru in all future board meetings, but she still had to be there for certain occasions. In exchange for his services, she gave him 15% of her shares.

"Yeah."

Chizuru didn't have to do much as a board member. Just sign a few things since it was run by a different set of people. It was all out of formality, but she wanted to make sure she knew what she was signing. She didn't have any business acumen in her system.

"Very well. Do you want to discuss the proposition of the board?"

"Yes sensei." Chizuru tried to joke to lift her own spirits.

Kyoya rolled his eyes and opened his laptop. He sat beside Chizuru and showed the screen. Her eyes lit up when she realized he wasn't going to show her graphs, numbers, and the like. Chizuru curled up beside him and they watched Thirteen going on Thirty.

* * *

Chizuru sat on her usual seat as she watched Kyoya prepare her noodles. The storm outside made it impossible for them to go to work. Regular clinic schedules were cancelled due to the inclement weather conditions. The rain hit the windows violently that even Noel wouldn't come close to the ledge.

"How long have you known?" Chizuru asked as she slouched in her seat. Yuuto broke the news about his affair two days ago.

"Not too long." Kyoya replied as he placed the noodles in front of her. It was always the same spicy noodles with sausage, egg, and dried seaweed.

Chizuru sighed as she ate her noodles. She just turned thirty-one last week and she was still doing the same things five years ago. She had to commend Kyoya for his consistency.

"Did you know before my birthday?"

"The next board meeting is coming up soon." Kyoya replied as he blew on his noodles. The mist formed on his glasses like it always did.

Chizuru clicked her tongue. He definitely knew. He always changed the subject when he didn't want to answer her. "Why didn't you tell me? If someone were cheating on you, I'd definitely tell you."

"Goodness. Of course, you would. That's why I just gave up on dating." Kyoya said as he took some of the pickled radish that Mori's fiancé made. "Besides, It's not as easy as it sounds.

Chizuru rolled her eyes. "Because he's related to Fuyumi-neesan's husband."

"Please pass me the chili sauce." Kyoya drank his tea. "I wasn't that fond of him either way"

She handed him the sauce and pouted. She was never going to win. "I see you finally took care of yourself." She said as she looked at the new sound system in Kyoya's living room. It looked like it was expensive even by her standards.

"Yes, I followed your advice."

"It felt good, right?"

Kyoya rolled his eyes. It was a good thing that Mori's fiancé was in the food industry. He finally had something to look forward to when he met with the Host Club now. He was about to get the last piece of pickled radish, but he watched it slip through his fingers as Chizuru took it from his chopsticks.

"What the-" Kyoya looked legitimately pissed. Like a mother scolding a child. "Are you in the hospital? Do you have to eat so fast?"

"Why are you getting so worked up? You can just get more." Chizuru blew her cheeks.

"That was the last piece." Her showed her an empty jar. She wouldn't even look at it since she knew she ate most of it. "You ate most of the pickled radish already."

"You're so self-centered. Why don't you just eat faster?" Chizuru placed her chopsticks on the table. She couldn't believe that Kyoya was acting like this right now. Sure, food was a touchy topic for him and he hated it when someone took his food, but really.

"Why should I control my pace when those were my pickled radishes to begin with?" Even when Kyoya was annoyed, he never raised his voice. There were a few exceptions, but in general he was always calm. "That's quite brazen for someone who's been leaching off from me all these years."

"Leaching off you? What a bastard. Hey! Just because your father owns the hospital doesn't mean you're the boss of me!"

The statement caught Kyoya off guard. The funniest thing in the world was Chizuru cursing. She just couldn't. It always sounded like she was joking. It never came naturally. Her voice was naturally soft, so it was an interesting contradiction when it happened.

"But I'm technically your boss."

Chizuru started laughing. They were acting like children fighting over a toy. She watched Kyoya shake his head as he pushed his glasses. He always did that when his smile reached his eyes.

"Who would have thought you'd get this petty as we got older?" Chizuru bit her lip.

Their silence was broken as Kyoya's phone rang. It looked like Tamaki was calling.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Chizuru looked at Kyoya while he was just looking at his phone.

"It's bound to be something stupid. He was so affected with the thought that I'm still single." Kyoya started to clear the plates.

"I'll wash the dishes." Chizuru stood up and took the load off Kyoya's hands. "He's just worried about you. That's all."

He stood beside her as she washed the dishes. Letting his phone ring the entire time. "I'm perfectly fine. I hoped that having a child would distract him from my affairs, but it seems like he still has far too much time in his hands. Doesn't he have something more important to do?"

"Maybe he's scared that you feel lonely."

He wasn't lonely. In fact, he was far from being lonely. Finally, Tamaki gave up and stopped calling him. Relationships were there because it provided a certain sense of security in people. He didn't need to date to feel that. It was like as if someone was already there filling the gaps. He knew who it was, and he was in a predicament that he never thought he would be in. Now he wasn't sure if he was willing to take the risk or to continue on with the balance of things.

The words that Honey told him during Chizuru's birthday went through his mind. Honey never missed a beat with any of the them.

_"It would be nice if you fell in love against your calculations."_

What Honey didn't know was how out of proportion this has gotten for him. No one else knew how hard he's fallen against his own calculations.

"Neh, Kyoya how does this new sound system work?" Chizuru tucked a loose strand of hair as she stared at the 'new toy' Kyoya got.

No one told him that it came so unexpectedly. No one told him that it just brewed insidiously without any warning. No one also told him how to progress once it's there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this chapter is done.
> 
> Let the slow burn begin.
> 
> Thank you for the kuds=os! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. Again, I'd like to hear your thoughts even more now that there's more weight to the story. I'm loving this whole new slice of life "mature" adult relationship feel. I've always loved imagining the future scenario for the hosts (especially Kyoya since his ending was left so ambiguous in the manga).
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the movies or other forms of media that I mentioned here.


	9. The Dream

With the news about the actress Nina Mitsutaka who came forward about the workplace abuse she just faced, feminism was on an all-time high in Japanese media. This was frowned upon by plenty of leaders and other traditional institutions. It wasn't just limited to male leaders, but this included other women as well. They claimed it was the influence of western media on the youth that was causing all this trouble.

The articles were all raving about how she was asked to strip naked for a magazine shoot. The executives of the magazine were all present and she requested that she continue the shoot without them watching since there was no need, but they refused stating that she should do her job regardless of the situation. The young woman felt trapped and was placed in a situation where she couldn't refuse. Now that she went forward with her story, plenty of other women started speaking up.

Women now were willing to fight.

Haruhi read about the protests of women walking around Harajuku, Akihabara, Omotesando, Roponggi, and all over Tokyo. Women of all ages from all walks of life were fighting and hoping that their request for a better working environment would be heard. This placed her in a difficult situation as a lot of the protesters were mostly university students.

The police detained several activists and she was bailing them out. It was a hefty price, but she had a lot of resources. With her position as a member of the Suoh family, she initially denied all the privilege. It made her feel inadequate. She didn't want to be like the rich bastards she was annoyed with. There were times when she used the 'Suoh card' though.

"I'll be bailing them out." Haruhi sat down in front of the police officer.

"All of them?" The man looked shocked since Haruhi didn't exactly scream rich with her department store suit and matching shoes from the sale section. "I don't know who you are miss, but you're going to need at least ten million yen for all of them."

Haruhi nodded and placed her bag on the table. It was a canvas bag she got as a bonus from the supermarket, but she started taking out money amounting to about ten million yen. Chizuru insisted that she bail all the supporters out. Most, if not all, of them were university students from Ouran. They also belonged to a certain girl's academy that was far too close to her client's heart.

The poor lawyer couldn't express her discomfort when Chizuru just handed her that much without much question. She claimed that it was just like selling three of her designer bags. It was nothing. The amount still nauseated her though. How the rich feel so comfortable with going around waving their money like it was nothing never normalized with her.

"T-they need to call their parents." The police officer stuttered.

"No, they don't. They're all of legal age." Haruhi stated.

"What do you know?"

Here was a rare instance of Haruhi using her privilege. It was a card she didn't use as much, but it worked wonders. She realized that it was too naïve of her to think that she can't adapt with how the rich play games. That she could live her life as a commoner but was married to the heir of Suoh Enterprises.

Kyoya's life lessons repeated once more in her mind. _"You can't help anyone by rejecting your position. I understand that this has been more about maintaining your independence but even I would consider it a crime if you didn't use certain perks to your advantage."_

_"But senpai, that's not who I am."_

_"Yes, but you're not Haruhi Fujioka anymore, Suoh-san. Once you find that balance it should be easier for you to come to terms with things."_

Haruhi bowed her head politely and handed her business card. "I'm a lawyer from MTY Associates. My client is hoping we could bail out these students."

The officer who spoke to her directly didn't recognize the Suoh name that was printed so clearly on the business card. His partner took a look and luckily, he was more knowledgeable on these matters. He whispered something and the reception suddenly changed.

In less than five minutes, Haruhi had a cup of warm tea in her hands and everything was being processed smoothly. She still had some time for lunch now that things were running smoothly.

* * *

Chizuru stood up after seeing her 10th patient for the day. It was already lunch time, but she didn't have time for that now. It was a good thing Haruhi kept her updated with what happened with the much younger ex-Zuka Club members. She got an SOS call this morning from the alumnae association and something had to be done. However, with the storm that happened last week, a lot of clinic schedules were bumped up the next two weeks. There was no choice but to work double time. She made a mental note to send the lawyer some ootoro this week.

"Maihara-sensei, shall we ask the patients to come back after an hour?" One of the nurses asked.

"No, it's fine. They've been waiting for a long time." Chizuru looked at her watch. "You guys go have lunch. I'll stay here."

"It's fine, Maihara-sensei. I'll send the next patient in." The nurse bowed her head.

"You're going to have lunch right after you call the next one in, okay? I'm not going to let you in." Chizuru pushed her nurse and medical intern out of the room. "You two aren't going back until you've rested."

Chizuru took the chart from the nurse's hands and pressed the call button herself. "Go."

Hina Kamishiro stood there in complete awe. All these patients were lined up to see Maihara-sensei. Her respect only grew the longer she followed her senior around. Shiro was right. Maihara-sensei was a saint. She never got mad at her residents and interns. She was always understanding to all her patients. She was the perfect doctor.

"You wanna have lunch?" Shiro nudged her lightly. "I heard they're serving chicken katsudon today."

Hina nodded.

"Maihara-sensei didn't tease you about anything?"

Hina looked up and shook her head. "No, nothing in particular."

Shiro let out a long sigh of relief. It wasn't fair. Maihara-sensei was always so nice and understanding to all the female interns, but she teased all the male interns and residents without mercy. He never heard the end of it when he accidentally spilled out how he spent his anniversary dinner with Hina. She still called him Dr. Pheromone when she saw him.

"Ootori-senpai." Shiro bowed his head and greeted him.

"Shiro-kun, it's nice seeing you around. Kyoya's refreshing smile was enough to end a draught.

Hina froze and smile sheepishly as she bowed. She had the biggest crush on the man. All the interns had a crush on him. Kyoya Ootori was always a hot topic amongst the doctors and nurses. He didn't pick a target. Plenty of hospital staff be it single, in a relationship, or married all had this consensus that he was a freshwater spring in the middle of a desert.

All the medical dramas that showed extremely good-looking doctors and hospital administration staff were lying. It's not true 80% of the time.

"Are you headed towards the cafeteria as well, Shiro-kun?" Kyoya asked out of politeness. He was with a few other members from the administrative team.

"Yes, but we don't want to be a bother." Shiro bowed his head a few times out of respect. He couldn't possibly have lunch with him.

"Nonsense, Tamaki requested that I look after you two."

Hina discretely nudged Shiro as they followed Kyoya. He was surprisingly not too intimidating. She was scared that he made people feel like he was the owner's son, but he never rubbed it in anyone's face.

Shiro almost cringed. He knew the inner workings of the Shadow King. He was basically on full on Host mode when he was at work. It was almost scary because he's seen the true colors from time to time years ago. It was enough to scar him for life, but he knew better than to tattle.

"It's rare to see you here, Kyoya." Ayame Jounouchi greeted her classmate since elementary.

She's probably one of the few people in this room who's known Kyoya since they were just five years old. They weren't extremely close friends. He always kept a certain distance from everyone. However, the amount of time they've spent together as the Class Representative and Vice Representative for six years was enough to brew some familiarity for them.

"I heard it was your idea to upgrade the food." Ayame said as they lined up.

"Just a few adjustments were made for it to be more appetizing. We can't have starving employees." Kyoya replied as he took his tray.

The cafeteria was filled with hospital staff. The medical sector wasn't as glamorous as the others so people from all walks of life mingled here. Hina and Shiro didn't think they'd adjust to such a way of living, but they realized it was one of the principles the people there. In the medical field, it didn't matter if you were the richest person in the room or an intern. Running a hospital was a team effort. Each role was vital in keeping their patients alive.

The four Ouran Alumnae were eating in peace. Their talks were basically about old professors and teachers. Fond memories of the campus and what not.

" _Shiro_ -sensei, you look like you're having a good time." Chizuru sat right beside her favorite intern. Shiro was one of the most diligent interns.

"Maihara-sensei, you're done seeing patients?" Hina was shocked. There were about another twelve patients in line when they left. She couldn't have finished it that fast.

"No, but when I was calling the Yukihara couple, they demanded that I take care of myself first. Then somehow everyone demanded that I eat." Chizuru laughed lightly as she took a bread stick from Pheromone sensei's plate.

Shiro succumbed to the pressure. Hina didn't know that he accidentally told them about their incident "Shall I get you more bread sticks, Maihara-sensei?"

"There's no need. I just stopped by to check on something." Chizuru said as she took another bread stick from Kyoya's plate.

Ayame pushed her glasses. "What in the world would you be checking on in the cafeteria?"

Chizuru looked over her shoulder and pointed with her eyes to show them her target. "Didn't you hear? Arai-sensei was dating someone. My sources said it was another doctor from this hospital."

"He's back in the dating market after that divorce?" Ayame gasped. "What about his son?"

"Right? It's a good thing Tsuki-kun is staying with him." Chizuru replied as she looked at her target. "I've got to go."

They watched Chizuru make her way to the table with general surgeons. She had friends everywhere in the hospital. There wasn't anyone who wasn't acquainted with her. Kyoya watched Chizuru leave the cafeteria only to be blocked by her old patients. It was a common scenario that always occurred.

"Maihara-sensei is so cool." Hina commented without her realizing.

She never saw a doctor who was so well loved by their patients. She watched how Maihara-sensei took the extra effort to know the entire family and how she could help them. There were some doctors who treated VIP patients differently from other patients. She never felt that from Maihara-sensei. She treated everyone equally. She also knew how much Chizuru studied in secret. Everyone in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department knew that she always worked overtime fixing case reports.

"Do you want to be like her?" Ayame asked as she fixed her hair.

"Who wouldn't?" Hina was blinded with adoration.

"You don't wanna end up like her though." Ayame sighed. "Maihara-sensei can never keep a relationship longer than three months because of her job. Then again, you already have Shiro-kun so he'd be more understanding."

It was true. The irony with Chizuru's situation was how she attracted a lot of suitors because she was such an accomplished doctor, but they left her for the very same reason. Her lifestyle wasn't viable for a relationship. She was in the hospital by seven in the morning and there were days when she'd leave at two in the morning. When there were critical patients, she'd opt not to go home and sleep in her office just in case there was an emergency.

"Then they shouldn't date her in the first place." Shiro's brows furrowed.

"Not everyone understands the nature of our work." Ayame smiled at her juniors. "There's a reason why most of the doctors here are single. That's also why doctors end up dating each other. You two should consider yourselves lucky."

Hina and Shiro looked at each other briefly. It never occurred to them how different their dating life became when they started their internship. For them this was the normal way of life, but that wasn't the case for most couples.

Chizuru skipped back to their table and they saw that 'mission accomplished' look on her face. Her eyes were an open book. She sat beside Shiro and sighed.

"Pheromone-sensei, if I ask your department head to let you off early will you take Hina-chan on a date?"

"Yes?" Shiro stiffened. He wasn't sure how to respond to such a request.

"Good." Chizuru pat his back. "It's decided then. Hina-chan, there's a holiday coming up and is it okay if I ask you to do something for me?"

"Yes, Maihara-sensei." Hina replied almost too excitedly. She was ready to learn from the legend herself.

The rest of the members from the table were surprised with the sudden burst of energy from the young intern.

Chizuru handed them two tickets. "There's a show I need you to attend. It's up to you if you want to bring Pheromone-sensei."

Shiro looked at the tickets. It was the opening night of Phantom of the Opera. That would have been fine, but these were VIP tickets.

"M-maihara-sensei? These are…" He couldn't even complete his sentence. His mother fought for VIP tickets and here he was getting it as if it was a high school play ticket.

Chizuru nodded. "You two need to go, but you need to tell me everything that happened during the play."

Hina bowed several times. "Maihara-sensei we couldn't possibly accept these."

"It's fine. I couldn't go anyways _. Someone_ decided to schedule a VIP patient to arrive on that day." Chizuru smiled and handed them the tickets. "You can't refuse now."

Kyoya looked at the tickets warily. Sometimes he regrets teaching Chizuru a few tricks with playing the game, because she never used it with how it was supposed to be used.

"Shall we head back?" Ayame took her tray and stood up.

The rest of them followed along. Chizuru and Ayame spoke about one of the patients they were managing together. Their two interns followed closely behind them as they spoke to Kyoya about their old high school teachers from Ouran. It was a regular day until a woman stopped in front of Chizuru.

"Maihara-sensei?"

Chizuru looked at the woman standing in front of her. A patient long ago who taught her so much. She held a little girl's hand who was roughly seven years old.

"I'm sorry you might not remember me but –"

"I remember." Chizuru was hit with a wave of nostalgia. She looked at the young girl and bent down. "Your birthday is on September 21st, right? You should be seven by now."

"How did you know?" The young girl looked at her in awe. As far as she was concerned, this doctor was a stranger she's never seen before.

Hina watched as the woman left thanking Chizuru profusely. "How did Maihara-sensei become so successful?"

Even Shiro was speechless. He never thought that Maihara-sensei would remember all her patients. It was inhumane to know everyone. Chizuru glanced back at Kyoya and smiled. Her eyes were brimming with happiness.

Shiro blinked several times. "Maihara-sensei is perfect, isn't she?"

* * *

What people usually saw was the finished product. No one acknowledges the struggle in success. It didn't come automatically or easily to those who fought for it. It was frustrating and tiring to keep on fighting without seeing results. It made the fight seem worthless.

Chizuru crouched on the ground as she cried. She asked herself several times why she was still a doctor when she couldn't do anything right. Why wasn't she good enough? Why couldn't she have done better? Why did someone else have to suffer because she was incompetent? Should she just quit her training and join the family business? Why did she even take this path? Why was she the most useless trainee in their department?

Kyoya sat down beside her in silence. He's known Chizuru since they were seventeen. So, they've been acquainted for seven years. That was more than enough time for him to see through all the cracks she hid unconsciously. Chizuru was easy to read, but difficult to predict. In that time, he noticed how badly she beat herself up when she feels like she isn't enough. She constantly doubted her capabilities. She never shows it, but he saw how the opinions of others get to her. She never made them feel like it affects her, but when she's on her own she crumbles.

The news said it was going to be the coldest winter night and they were up in the roof deck. He could barely feel his fingers as he dug it deeper into his pockets. This wasn't the best time to be hanging around the roof top.

"Sometimes I wonder that If I was smarter or if I saw the problem quicker, maybe she would've lived." Chizuru's voice broke.

"Why couldn't I help him?" She continued on as she wiped her tears with the sleeves of her white coat. She never realized how heavy the burden was.

It was like as if history repeated itself. A young mother came into the emergency room a few hours ago because she was bleeding all of a sudden. They saw she was carrying twins. The patient was transferred one of the smaller Ootori Group hospitals in the more rural areas. They didn't have enough equipment to keep two preterm babies alive. They got transferred to the main branch. Unfortunately, the umbilical cord twisted on the second twin and killed him as his sibling was pushed out to the world.

He could understand why this was difficult for her. Chizuru still blames herself for what happened to her brother. It was her umbilical cord that wrapped around her brother's neck as she came into the world. A devastating consequence of her life that still haunted her up to this day.

Kyoya wasn't good with comforting others. He didn't always have a heartfelt message ready in the blink of an eye. That was Tamaki and Honey's specialty. They always knew what to say at a time like this. It was a talent that couldn't be learned. He struggled to find the right words, so he decided to do it in the method he knew best which was to approach things logically.

"Maybe if I made sure that all hospitals were equipped to handle at least ten preterm births I could have prevented this." He mused.

Chizuru wiped her tears. "Are you crazy? There's no way you could have foreseen that. Don't be too hard on yourself. You've improved a lot of things in all the hospitals ever since you started working."

"If you can be considerate to me, I suggest you do the same for yourself." Kyoya looked at her overly red puffy eyes. "You get too attached to your patients. You can't cry or sulk every time something bad happens to them."

It was true. Kyoya learned to separate his emotions from work. When an employee didn't do his job properly, certain sanctions need to be taken. It starts off with a simple warning but at some point, they need to put their foot down. You can't keep on giving them chances because they have a family. He never let his emotions jeopardize the quality of service they were aiming to give.

It was only when he started working when he saw the true purpose of his father's actions. He saw the purpose of their upbringing. If they beat themselves each time someone dies under their care, the Ootori line would have been extinct by now.

_"When you make a mistake, the best course of action is to improve yourself and never let it happen again."_

These were the words of his father to him when he was merely a child.

"When you feel like you make a mistake, the best course of action is to learn from it and improve yourself." Kyoya repeated a similar statement that he knew by heart. He understood her feelings. He can't blame her for feeling that guilt that came from making a mistake. No one should invalidate that, but what comes after can be changed.

"You never fail to surprise me, Kyoya." Chizuru placed her head on his shoulder. He wasn't an easy person to read, but she's learning more about him slowly. She thought he was simply an egoist, but as time went by, she started seeing through the masks he wore. He refused any attempt to be stuck in a room with strangers (with very little merit, if he might add) that he had to pretend to enjoy spending time with.

"You refuse to go to crowded parties and get drunk, but you would entertain a spontaneous trip to watch the sunrise." Chizuru finally stopped crying as her attention was shifted.

"We certainly had luck on our side." Kyoya pushed his glasses. It was not something he'd regularly do, but he didn't regret it. Honestly, he wouldn't mind doing it again, but he'd never let her know that.

It was a whimsical midnight decision. A spontaneous outing that cannot be rivaled by anything else. They just decided to take the first commercial flight to Cambodia to watch the sunrise in Angkor Wat.

They had economy tickets because it was the only available seat left, but he's learned to see life through all sorts of views.

"Are you feeling better?"

Chizuru nodded. She found the light at the end of the tunnel and sent a message to Haruhi. There were certain aspects that went beyond her expertise and her patient needed a lawyer.

"Can we go inside now?" Kyoya asked as he hid his discomfort. It far too cold for any human to stay outside. He walked towards the entrance with his hands buried in his jacket. He wasn't even wearing a coat.

"Kyoya, look!" Chizuru looked at her hands.

It was the first snowfall of the year. It wasn't the sentimentality that he remembered, but how Chizuru seemed to be unfazed with the freezing temperature. She was just wearing her scrub suit and white coat. That didn't exactly provide much warmth in this situation.

"I can see why you're excited, but I have no plans of dying because of hypothermia." Kyoya continued to walk back inside.

"For someone who brings good weather, you're no fun." Chizuru pouted and followed closely behind him.

Kyoya held the door open as he let Chizuru enter first. "What do you mean?"

"You didn't notice? Even Tamaki noticed." Chizuru looked back at him. "You always bring sunny days, light drizzles, and snow with you at the right time."

He just looked at her without any reaction whatsoever. There was nothing logical with her statement.

"It's true! He said you were like a weather lucky charm for Host Club activities. He said that even if the news said it would rain, it wouldn't if you said so."

"You believe in all kinds of things. Those sun and moon rising horoscope things you and Tamaki spend so much time on is influencing your judgement." Kyoya closed the door and they went down the stairs that lead back to the main building.

"How about that time when we the cherry blossoms bloomed earlier? Just in time for Kyoko's birthday. You said that it would be nice if spring came earlier for Fuyumi-neesan." Chizuru looked at him closely. As if proving her point.

Kyoya ignored Chizuru at this point as she continued mentioning one scenario after another. Tamaki and Haruhi's engagement party suddenly had a storm forecast, but he said it be better if it pushed through. On that day, not a single cloud was seen. Then right after the party, it poured so hard. When his mother and Yuucchi passed away, it rained for weeks. When he broke one of the records for Ootori Group ratings, the Tokyo summer heat cooled a bit on that exact day.

"Why won't you believe me that your mood dictates the weather? It's like as if the gods are afraid of displeasing you." Chizuru said with a light laugh. That might as well be the truth. She wasn't sure if Kyoya influenced the weather or if he was part plant. It could have been the other way around for all she knew.

* * *

It was a momentous occasion for the Ootori family. Akito's wife was finally pregnant with their first child. It was a union that no one expected to materialize. When Akito and Nanako first met in Barcelona, Kyoya and his friends caused quite the scene and marriage wasn't even in the initial equation. The two didn't reconnect until after a few years ago and somehow, contrary to popular belief, it was possible for an Ootori to marry for love.

Yoshio thought it was hitting two birds with one stone now. Nanako brought a significant amount of merit to the Ootori family.

After all, Nanako Shouji was a wild card. Instead of just simply continuing her father's oil business she grew it and explored the options for renewable sources of energy.

Fuyumi hugged her brother tightly as she entered the mansion. The remaining Ootori siblings decided it was best for Akito and his family to stay with their father. Fuyumi insisted that a house that big with a single person would drive anyone mad.

"Fuyumi-neesan, please." Akito pushed her away gently. He was 37 years old now and he couldn't let his sister hug him so overtly.

"I'm just so happy for you, Akito." Fuyumi held her brother's hand tightly. "You're going to be a great father."

Fuyumi smiled at Nanako as she held her hand. "Nanako, I'm so happy for you. I pray you have an uncomplicated pregnancy."

Nanako used to be quite the free spirit during her younger years. She spent her university years studying in Spain and another five years backpacking all over the world. Those travels gave her a perspective that became the foundation of Shoji General. She had her brother-in-law and his friends to thank for that opportunity.

Kyoko Shido was Fuyumi's eldest daughter. She was an exact replica of her mother. A nine-year-old girl came running into the hall and came to an abrupt stop when she saw her grandfather was close by.

"Akito-ojisama, Nanako-obasama, congratulations." Kyoko bowed formally as any Ootori should.

For any outsider, they can see that the Ootori blood runs strong.

Trailing closely behind Kyoko was Yuuichi's son. Daichi Ootori was the first grandchild of Yoshio. He was born a few months before his father's death.

He fumbled with his glasses still unaccustomed to. He had to adjust since he started wearing it just a few days ago. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Akito looked at his niece and nephew.

The two children ran along and played in the gardens. It didn't take long for Kyoya to arrive as well. He underwent the usual pleasantries with Akito and Nanako. It's about time they had children since they've been married for four years already.

"Kyoya, when are you joining the club?" Nanako was obviously the more mischievous half of the couple.

"Not anytime soon, I hope." Kyoya replied.

Akito always had this bad habit of nagging. Something he got from their mother. "You should start looking as well."

"You're starting to sound like otousama." Kyoya dismissed lightly.

Their conversation was cut short with the sound of an excited young lady running across the hall. Her doll shoes made a tapping sound on the marble flooring as she greeted her favorite uncle.

"Kyoya-jichan!" Kyoko ran excitedly to her uncle and latched herself on his leg.

"It seems like you're already ready." Nanako joked. "Shall we greet the other guests?"

Akito nodded and left his brother to deal with Kyoko's energy.

The reason why Kyoya was good with handling children was because at the mere age of seventeen he had three teenage "sons" and a daughter to look after. In every single group, there was that 'mom' and the role was assigned to him regardless of his preference.

"Kyoya-jichan, did you like the plushie I gave you?"

He lightly placed his hand on his niece's head. "Yes, how did you know I like curry bread?"

"Chizuru-neesan told me. We went shopping with okaachan and I asked her what present I could get you." Kyoko said as she continued to hold on tightly to her uncle.

Ena Maihara peaked inside the music room to where all the fuss was coming from. She had a feeling either Fuyumi or Kyoya would be there. She was probably one of the most poised and elegant women Kyoya's met. Plenty of women were shared the same characteristic, but she was always elegant even when she was sick or when she just woke up. Her dark mahogany colored hair and hazel eyes were opposite of those of Chizuru's.

"Kyoya-kun, how are you?"

Kyoya bowed politely to greet Chizuru's mother. "I'm doing well, Ena-san."

Ena bent down and took a chocolate bar from her bag and handed it to the young girl. Kyoko's eyes were brimming with excitement as she took the treat and ran off to bother someone else.

"Where's your father?"

"I was just about to meet him."

"Oh, you were intercepted." The woman laughed. "Kyoko-chan has quite the energy. I wonder where she gets it. We were having dinner last week with your father and she was talking non-stop."

The Ootori mansion was exactly the same as it was years ago. The white walls and vast space were its selling factor. It was meant to look intimidating yet plain all at once. The same grand piano was still in the music room. Ever since the accident, Fuyumi made the extra effort of filling the main mansion with people.

"Ena-san, I thought I'd find you here." Yoshio greeted his guest and briefly acknowledged his son with that signal Kyoya knew well. That quick gesture meant he and his father had something to discuss in private.

It was enough of a signal for Kyoya to excuse himself to help entertain the other guests. It was just a small brunch gathering with family and close friends. The rest of the Hosts should show up anytime soon.

Yuzuru Suoh and Anne Sophie made their presence known. The Suoh and Ootori were known allies now. It was an alliance so strong that it's benefited both companies for than they could have imagined.

"You're looking quite healthy, Yoshio." Yuzuru pat his senior's back lightly.

"Shall we play mahjong? It seems like we have enough players already." Ena Maihara looked at the defending champion. Anne Sophie was amazing with playing. It was the plot twist no one expected.

The group of the much older adults made their way to the traditional Japanese rooms where the mahjong table was setup. It became a permanent fixture because they had their regular tournaments. Old people need hobbies at a certain point. Now that their children were doing a lot of work, they admittedly had some more time in their hands, and they spend some of their afternoons like this.

Yoshio Ootori was far too competitive to even hold back, but even he wasn't a match for the Parisian. "I thought Chizuru was coming over."

"Always looking for Chizuru. If you really want her as your daughter, I'll give you to her. If I win, I'll trade her for Kyoya-kun." Ena said as she made her move.

It was a mystery how Yoshio was unusually fond of Chizuru. She got through his thick skin and humored him at his age.

"I'm trying to get them both." Yoshio took one of the tiles and placed it on the board.

"Always the greedy one." Yuzuru laughed.

"I've been trying to do that for almost a decade. The fruits of my labor haven't materialized. Can't you tell Kyoya-kun that he'll be named heir if he marries my daughter?" Ena shook her head in irritation.

"You know he'll see through that trick. He did it once and he'll do it again."

"Don't remind me."

The price for Chizuru's seat on Maihara Holdings was supposed to be marriage, but with the help of her business representative, she got through that quite easily. The very person they'd hope to be a candidate for marriage was the one who found the loophole.

It was absurd but the proposition was clear and the other board members accepted it. Chizuru underwent a procedure that harvested healthy egg cells and, in the event, that she doesn't marry, she can opt for a sperm donor so that she can have a child of her own.

"Only your son could think of something like that." Ena was still bitter about that.

"I'd like to believe it was your daughter who thought of the solution."

"Isn't it too early to talk about me?" Chizuru entered the room and greeted all of them in the room.

"You're early." Ena looked at her watched and was surprised to see her daughter just in time for the party.

"I'm not always late, okaasan." Chizuru rolled her eyes. She directed her attention to her favorite Ootori. "Otousama, how are you?"

"I'm doing well."

Chizuru looked at his tiles and smiled. "Looks like someone's not holding back."

After paying her respects, she left and went one of the rooms where the other guests were. Even if Fuyumi was the nicest and seemingly least harmful Ootori, she was still a vital part of the whole charade. Apparently, Fuyumi was part of the parent's association in Ouran and they had these exclusive circles. She even threw these ultra-exclusive and strictly by invite only parties. Even the mahjong group was an exclusive meet up as well. Networking was truly part of their system.

"I was wondering where you were hiding." Chizuru knocked lightly on the door and smiled at Haruhi.

"I'll never get used to Ootori events." Haruhi held her half empty glass of juice. The Ootori family was a generally nice bunch, but you can never feel at ease with all of them acting together. Like if she let her guard down for even just a second, her deepest secrets and weaknesses would be known to the entire family.

"Like it's all meticulously planned, right?" Chizuru whispered. "I won't be surprised though."

The two women watched Tamaki carrying around the Suoh heiress in his arms like the doting father he was. He was speaking with other businessmen while showing pictures and videos of the apple of his eye. Time has a way of running fast and slow simultaneously. They were doing the same things daily that it felt like they weren't moving forward, but time was passing faster than they realized.

"What are the two of you looking at?"

Chizuru and Haruhi felt their souls leave their bodies from the unexpected interaction.

"Hikaru!" Chizuru glared at him. "Did you plan on killing us? Can you make a sound when you walk?"

Haruhi closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. "Hey, don't snoop up on me when there are plenty of things I can accidentally break."

Hikaru had a low mischievous laugh. That was his intention though. "Why are we invited here? This is a married couple turf."

"Right?" Chizuru shrugged her shoulders. "Fuyumi-neesan insisted."

The eldest Hitachiin sibling loosened his tie and took a deep breath. There really was something with Ootori events that suffocated him. Chizuru and Haruhi welcomed him to the club and they continued to watch the ultra-exclusive pregnancy announcement celebration. For most guests, they couldn't see through the front the Ootori family had. The ones who knew the true colors of each member really found the whole act almost Oscar worthy.

"I didn't think Nanako would adapt so well." Hikaru was genuinely amazed with the transformation. "It's like she was born to be an Ootori."

"Akito and Kyoya actually look close." Haruhi mused. They watched Akito and Kyoya entertain guests together and to those blissfully unaware, you'd think the two were inseparable.

"They are. Those two stopped fighting whenever they were in the same room." Chizuru tucked her hair behind her ear. "Sometimes Akito-niisan calls just to check on him."

"And nag?" Hikaru added.

"Exactly."

"Where's Kaoru?" Haruhi realized that one third of the Hitachiin sibling trio wasn't there.

"Losing his mind. The fashion show's next week. He's been all over the place the past week."

It didn't take long for lunch to be served. Fuyumi was really good with hosting these sorts of events. You never felt the waiting time. It just transitioned flawlessly without anyone forcing it. It was the same way how the guests were just the right amount of hungry and how the mahjong game ended with perfect timing. Even down to the unsaid seating arrangement of the whole "intimate" gathering was planned to the dot.

Chizuru listened intently to the lovesick Ootori man that sat across her. He went on and on about how he wasn't sure about his feelings and how he could properly reciprocate it. The poor soul didn't want to jeopardize his friendship with this person so he wasn't sure how to move on from there.

"So, she asked you out?" Chizuru gasped.

Daichi nodded. He couldn't talk to his mom about the girl he liked in class. There were certain things a son never told their mother.

"Can I see her picture?"

Daichi took out his phone and showed the matching keychain his classmate gave. "Her name's Tsubasa."

Chizuru took the phone with both hands. "Daiki, she's so pretty."

The poor boy rubbed the back of his neck with his hands. His cheeks were turning into a light shade of pink. Chizuru never had the opportunity to get close to Yuuichi but Fuyumi said Daichi resembled his father's temperament.

"Tsubasa's the one of the nicest girls in class. She never makes anyone feel left out."

"I don't see the problem." Chizuru pat Daichi's head. "You're going out just as friends, right?"

Hikaru placed his arm around the youngest member of their table. "If you want dating advice, you should ask me. Let's have a man to man talk."

Tamaki smiled at him. He couldn't let the Hitachiin pollute the young Ootori's mind. "No, only I have the right to offer such advice. Only a man with a heart as pure as mine could give you the perfect scenario."

The young innocent boy shook his head. "It's fine. I must politely decline. Sorry Hikaru-ojisan but I'm serious about her so I can't ask you for advice."

Haruhi almost spat out her water. "Yeah, you can't talk to him about serious relationships."

Tamaki felt a sense of triumph. He was already gloating that he was the preferred choice and source of inspiration for young love.

"Sorry Tamaki-ojisan, but I don't want to embarrass myself. Thank you for the offer."

There was nothing more painful that the words that spoke nothing but the truth. A child's innocence was truly something. Haruhi, Hikaru, and Chizuru were laughing since there was nothing but the truth with his statement.

"Idiot, she's been throwing herself at you." Ageha slammed her hand on the table. The youngest Hitachiin was wise beyond her years in this sense. She can't believe how dense this guy was. Did this stupidity run in the family? "No girl would spend lunch just to talk about world history with you."

Daichi's face flushed. "N-no, that's not true." He tried to regain his composure instantly. "She said she genuinely liked it."

Kyoko sighed and looked at her cousin in disappointment. "If you really knew Tsubasa, she wouldn't spend an entire afternoon talking about tanks and fighter jets."

Daichi looked at his uncle in desperation. He wasn't sure how to respond to this. He thought Tsubasa really liked tanks and fighter jets, so he spent the past week studying all the different models for her. It wasn't his interest, but he didn't have anything else to talk about.

"Why don't you ask her what she wants to do on your date?" Haruhi suggested.

It didn't feel like it was enough for Daichi. He just couldn't ask her so directly. It didn't feel like him. He couldn't find the courage to do something so bold.

"Or you can deduce her interests." Kyoya offered another solution. "I'm sure you're more than capable of finding that out before your date."

"Deduce her interests?"

Kyoya nodded. "Observe the things she likes to do and work it out from there. Find out what she talks about with her friends. It should be easy once you get those."

The rest of the adults froze. Is this how Ootori's were made? His uncle was already teaching him the ways of their family with such an innocent situation. They really started them off young.

"Kyoya, he's just a kid." Chizuru glanced at him sideways.

Before Kyoya could answer, Chizuru's mother stood beside them and smiled. It was clear where Chizuru got her nosiness from. "What are you talking about? It seems interesting."

"Young love." Tamaki looked at the distance. Still feeling the sting of dejection.

"Love?" Ena Maihara smiled. "Well, I hope my daughter was able to take someone she loved to a certain play."

Chizuru smiled back. "Of course, okaasan, thank you for the tickets. I really enjoyed the energy that night. I even noticed a slight improvisation with the boat scene, but they really hid it well so fast. I heard the lead actor had an asthma attack after the number."

Ena Maihara felt relieved. Her planned work since it seemed like Chizuru really watched the play. She fought for those tickets. She was willing to do anything to further her daughter's love life.

"Who did you bring with you?"

Chizuru laughed nervously. She didn't think she'd ask that much. "Who else would I bring? Kyoya enjoyed it as much as I did."

Kyoya wasn't briefed that he was her scapegoat as per usual. He didn't think that was her plan all along. As far as he was concerned, she gave those tickets to the two interns and made them write a report with all the details about the show.

"Thank you for finding us tickets, Ena-san. I'm sure those were hard to come by." Kyoya played along. He could feel Chizuru stepping on his foot.

Finally, Chizuru's mother left and went back to the other senior citizens in the room. The doctor sighed and had a look of triumph. She gave Kyoya a cheeky smile.

"You owe me." Kyoya replied without looking at her.

"Thank you." Chizuru bowed her head several times.

* * *

Kyoya's could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks. His mind was all fuzzy and he wasn't thinking straight. He could feel his sweat trickle down his forehead. The heat radiating from his fingertips. He tried to move himself, but someone was trying to keep him steady.

"Stay still." Chizuru bit her lower lip as she moved from one button to another. Her skin was cool against his.

Kyoya could feel his throat dry up as she removed his dress shirt. He held her hand and shuddered as the cool air hit his skin.

"Chizuru." His voice sounded raspier than usual. He could barely keep his eyes open now. Then he felt a damp cloth on his forehead.

"You've got a really bad fever." Chizuru sighed as she looked at the thermometer. "It's a good thing Noel was making such a fuss. I could hear him from my room."

Chizuru left the three days ago to attend a medical symposium in Osaka and she went straight back to the hospital when she got to Tokyo. She just had a single case waiting for her and she noticed there was a flu bug going around the entire hospital. When she got home, she was getting ready to sleep when she heard Noel meowing relentlessly for about an hour.

Apparently, his slave wasn't able to feed him since he was passed out on his bed.

Chizuru changed his shirt which was dripping with sweat. "Sit up."

Kyoya's body felt so heavy. Like every single joint hurt. He wasn't the type that got sick, but one of the VIP patient's kids sneezed on his face the other day. It was a good thing Chizuru was a doctor, so she was accustomed to this sort of thing. He could feel the damp cloth being wiped on his forehead and nape.

"Did you drink any medicine yet?"

He shook his head.

"I heated up some soup. Okaasan sent some over." Chizuru handed him a bowl of soup. Her mother always sent this. It her special seafood miso-based soup that was strong enough to resurrect the dead.

The warm broth soothed his senses. He felt so tired when all he did was sleep the moment he got home. "Noel's dinner."

"I fed him already." Chizuru placed several medications on Kyoya's palm.

He didn't even ask what those were and just drank it. He didn't even have the energy to finish his food. "Tomorrow there's-"

"I told your secretary you're sick." She cut him off and placed those cooling gel pads on his forehead. She bought it a while ago and unfortunately the convenience store had nothing else but the cute patterned ones with flowers. "The medicine will make you a bit drowsy. Hopefully, you'll be fine by tomorrow."

The weight of his lids overpowered him, and he fell into a deep dreamless slumber. It was the most restful sleep he's had in a long time. Whatever it was Chizuru gave him, it was so strong that he woke up it was past lunch time the following day.

Kyoya woke up feeling a lot better. It was like as if he wasn't sick. He examined his hand and saw an IV on it. He didn't remember getting this done. Did they go to the emergency room last night?

He put on his glasses and carefully stood up still feeling somewhat weak from his fever. He then realized that Chizuru managed to change his bed sheets and his clothes without physically lifting him off the bed. It was a skill that any medical professional needed with bedridden patients. He never thought he'd benefit from it. There was a short note with a familiar scribble like penmanship.

_'I left the soup in the refrigerator and I fed Noel already. Sorry I had to put an IV line for your meds since you wouldn't wake up before I left for work. Drink the blue and white tablet once you wake up and I left some vitamins on the counter.'_

He realized that he had to change his questionable sleeping habits. How did he not feel someone poking a needle in his hand? He knew that when he slept, nothing could wake him up. Tamaki was able to carry him on his back to a mall while he slept the entire time. There was also another instance where Honey and Chika met in America. They were having their usual Haninozuka duel as he slept peacefully on the couch two feet away from where the action was.

He ate the soup in silence. The least he could do was check his emails and respond to what he can. He wouldn't work too long since he just drank his medicine.

* * *

Chizuru shook her head as she watched Kyoya sleep on the floor with his head resting on the coffee table. He had terrible sleeping habits. Who would have thought he was the type to fall asleep on the floor or couch? Kyoya tended to overwork himself and fall asleep due to exhaustion. She had to stop him from working and remind him to eat. It was a common scenario to find him asleep on his office chair or on his couch with his laptop still open.

"This guy's such a workaholic."

She felt relieved that she bought got him a rug for Christmas since he usually fell asleep here. It seems like he fell asleep midway through reviewing a few documents. Chizuru took a blanket and placed it over him. She was the empty bowl of soup on the table so at least he didn't forget to eat this time.

She bent down and placed the back of her hand on his cheek. "At least you don't have a fever anymore."

There were rumors that Kyoya was going back to the main office. It seems like he was winning the race towards being the next head of the Ootori Group. Akito was capable, but he didn't have the vision that Kyoya possessed. Chizuru was almost certain that she was looking at the leader of the Ootori Group. She never doubted that aspect of Kyoya. He was confident in his business acumen regardless of the scale. He always delivered flawlessly.

However, there were days when she felt the weight of that burden on Kyoya. He never let it show though. It was something she learned over time. On certain days, the scent of cigarettes was stronger and he would have a deeper look of thought.

Chizuru was about to stand and take her leave, but she felt someone hold her hand.

"Don't go." Kyoya's brows furrowed and he turned to the other side.

Kyoya also talked in his sleep a lot. Sometimes it was gibberish or sentences that didn't make sense, but there were instances when he spoke clearly. She was convinced that if he said series of numbers she would use that to win the lottery.

Chizuru sat back down. She let sleep come to her as well as she held Kyoya's hand.

Kyoya woke up could see a vague figure sleeping on the floor right next to him. He didn't recall bringing a blanket with him, but that didn't matter. He knew how he got it.

"Idiot, why would you sleep there?" Kyoya moved closer and draped the blanket over Chizuru as well.

He looked at the wall clock and sighed. Chizuru went home late again. Even if he was sleeping on floor with nothing but a rug under him, he felt like he was on a cloud. He let sleep engulf him once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, the fluff.
> 
> Then didn't you get that feeling that Kyoya was such a deep sleeper? The fact that he found himself transported to a middle of a department store without waking up was really something.
> 
> As usual thank you for all feedback. I really appreciate it. I hope you'll continue to read this story as well.


	10. The Walk

Tamaki stared at his textbook once more and looked at his seatmate. He had more pressing issues to fix than this physics problem he had to do. He couldn't believe that Haruhi's never been to Kyoto her entire life. His poor daughter hasn't explored the true essence of Japanese culture. He fidgeted in his seat and looked at his watch. Only two more hours until they head to the third music room. This gives him more than enough time to plan this important milestone for Haruhi's life.

Tamaki leaned over to Kyoya's desk and whispered. "Kyoya, shall we bring our daughter to Kyoto next weekend? I want her to see the Gion Matsuri."

Kyoya continued to answer the math homework their teacher gave earlier. "Can we discuss this some other time?"

It was self-study period and the members class 2-A were all doing their homework or studying for other subjects. The exams were coming up next week, so they only had a few days left to study.

"But I really want her to see the Gion Matsuri." Tamaki pouted until half of his body was on Kyoya's table. Begging for him to say yes.

"Why are you asking me? Ask Haruhi if she wants to go." Kyoya replied without looking at him.

"But she'd refuse."

"I expected better from the two of you." The vice-principal entered the room and saw the fuss Tamaki was making. He looked at the two boys who were talking during self-study period.

Zennosuke Kazama was the vice-principal of Ouran. A regal man his age always made sure that his students upheld the standards of the institution. He was checking on the second-year classes just a few moments ago and he saw two boys who weren't up to standard. The scholar walked towards the two and shook his head.

"Suoh-kun, you should know better than to disturb your classmates." He stood by the teacher's table and looked at the two boys causing all the noise.

Tamaki pouted as he bowed his head. "I'm sorry Kazama-sensei."

The man turned his attention to the victim of Tamaki's actions. "I expected better behavior from you, Ootori-kun."

Kyoya stood up and bowed his head to show his respect. "I apologize for our behavior sensei. It won't happen again."

Kyoya glared at Tamaki briefly when he sat down. His eyes said it all. Tamaki wasn't going to live that long to see the Gion Matsuri himself now.

"Since you two boys seem to have so much energy, I think we should do something about that, right class?" The vice-principal gestured for the two to go in front.

Corporal punishment was frowned upon in Ouran, but the teachers got creative when it came to disciplining students. The vice-principal looked at the class schedule. "It appears like it's supposed to be music class right now. Shall the two of you sing us a song to lighten up the mood?"

Somehow, the entire class started chanting "Sing, sing, sing, sing."

Tamaki closed his eyes. This was the perfect time for him to unveil his vocal prowess. His harmonious voice with the perfect pitch and melody would soften the hearts of his teacher and classmates. Kyoya took a deep breath and tried to think how he could get out of this situation. The last thing he wanted was to sing in front of everyone.

"That's a great idea, Kazama-sensei!" Tamaki agreed to the proposition. "I shall sing a song close to my heart."

Tamaki stood dramatically in the center of the room and cleared his throat. "Today, I'll be singing La Vie En Rose."

The girls were already swooning with the thought of the Host King gracing them with his angelic voice. There were times when Kyoya just wondered what went on in Tamaki's mind. He wanted to punch the him at this point. Didn't he realize this was a punishment of sort? The vice-principal stood there in shock. His actions backfired against him. Didn't he know that Tamaki was narcissistic enough that any sort of extra attention was enough to energize him?

Kyoya stood beside him silently and hoped that this was enough to distract them. He let Tamaki go on with his charade. As the song came to a close, a loud applause was heard. The vice-principal was brought to tears. It was the reaction Kyoya hoped to occur.

"Thank you for that wonderful number." The vice-principal wiped the tears that escaped his eyes and motioned for them to take their seats.

As Kyoya silently followed Tamaki back to their seats, one of his classmates suddenly expressed her dissatisfaction.

"Kyoya-sama, aren't you going to sing for us as well?" One of their classmates asked.

Kyoya smiled graciously and mentally cursed. He had to feign his embarrassment at this point. "I don't want to spoil everyone's mood with my singing."

That was enough reasoning for everyone. He barely dodged the bullet, but Tamaki wasn't having any of it.

"Kyoya! You need to sing as well."

Kyoya's smile strained and his fists were clenched as Tamaki started chanting for him to sing. The Host King started encouraging everyone in the room as well. Pushing the Ootori into a scenario he never wanted to be in.

"Come on, Kyoya!"

"We've never really heard you sing before."

"Kyoya-sama must sound amazing too!"

The expectations of his peers suddenly made itself known. Kyoya's only experience in singing was during their presentation in middle school for parent's day where their class sang together. He was glad that his parents weren't there to watch the program. He would have died of humiliation if they went.

It's not that Kyoya was a terrible singer. He didn't think he was bad, but he wasn't exactly that good either. He just didn't like such public demonstrations at times. He would be willing to do so for the Host Club, but there was simply no merit in doing it right now. The gears in his mind turned quickly and there was no escaping. He just simply had to plan his next move properly.

"If everyone insists." Kyoya bowed his head. "I'm not as good as Tamaki though."

He wasn't faking his courtesy at this point. He really wasn't a match for Tamaki when it came to singing, dancing, and music. There was only one song he knew from start to finish.

In plenty of aspects, Kyoya and Tamaki were the perfect anti-thesis of each other. Tamaki's singing was powerful and dramatic. As he sang earlier, he had such a strong presence that he was able to even dance with some of his classmates. He always shined in situations like these.

Kyoya on the other hand was far more subdued. He preferred to stay in the sidelines. He didn't have the same type of charisma Tamaki possessed. He didn't need excessive amounts of attention directed to him. As he sang, everyone went quiet. He wasn't flashy. His voice wasn't overbearing. Tamaki looked dumbfounded since he's never heard Kyoya sing by himself.

How could okaasan hide this voice was that was soothing in all aspects? He reached every single note with precision and accuracy.

Kyoya bowed and sat down. Everyone was silent.

"Was it that bad?" Kyoya decided it was best to break the silence himself.

The vice-principal stood in complete awe. "Ootori-kun, that was…astonishing."

Word got out that Kyoya's voice was enough to raise the dead back to new life. When they got to the Host Club, most of the guests designated Kyoya and begged for him to sing again. Of course, the Ootori politely declined, but he saw an opportunity that can be used to their benefit. It should be easy for him to stir things towards that direction.

The following week after their exams, Tamaki suddenly had a "brilliant idea" for the Hosts to record an album so they can always be heard by their guests. He already thought of the song titles. He asked Kyoya to arrange the rest.

"I still can't believe we're really doing this." Haruhi sighed as she watched Hikaru and Kaoru singing in the recording booth.

The staff were unusually accommodating with the whole thing. How did these rich bastards manage to reserve a recording studio with a music producer on board? It really did make her question why she was still here in the first place.

"Is there something wrong, Haruhi?" Kyoya asked as he looked at his clipboard.

"Nothing. I wonder where Tamaki-senpai got the idea of suddenly recording an album? You really didn't have anything to do with this, senpai?"

Kyoya pushed his glasses and smirked. He dodged certain questions that he preferred to be left unanswered. "Shouldn't you be used to his whimsical ideas by now?"

"I just can't believe Tamaki-senpai is singing a song entitled 'Guilty Beauty Love'." Haruhi cringed at the thought of it.

"Just wait until you hear the lyrics." Kyoya leaned back against his chair.

Haruhi felt her eye twitch as Tamaki sang the song with utmost gusto. How was the man so obnoxious? She felt bad for his future wife and children already.

She sat down and observed how the voice coaches were teaching each host how to effectively modulate their voice as they continued to record the album. Tamaki initially gave her a song to sing, but after a few hours with the voice coach, her song was removed. She wasn't exactly the best singer and even the professionals gave up on her. Now she had no choice but to wait for everyone to finish.

"How did I do Haru-chan?" Honey sat down beside her and beamed. He just finished recording his part earlier.

"I think you sounded cute." Haruhi replied. Honey's track was a bit more on the pop side. She wasn't sure how Mori and Kyoya songs were going to sound. She joked to herself that Mori's song was probably just an instrumental.

She looked at the list of songs. Track 1: Guilty Beauty Love by Tamaki Suoh, Track2: Doki Doki Waku Waku by Mitsukini Haninozuka, Track 3: Bokura No Love Style by Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, Track 4: Itsumo Soba Ni by Takashi Morinozuka, and Track 5: Tsumetai Yoru by Kyoya Ootori.

There was absolutely no way this would sell. Haruhi shook her head at the cliché song titles. Their customers couldn't be that blinded to buy something like this. She could hear Kyoya making arrangements for a premium release with a limited-edition picture book that came exclusively with the album for only 75,000 yen only available for those who were pre-ordering the album.

"Wow, we've already sold all the albums, Kyo-chan?" Honey peered over Kyoya's shoulder as he looked at the laptop screen.

"Yes, the next batch will be delayed after a week, but I'll see what other extra merchandise we can throw in to increase its quality."

Haruhi sat back down and blinked a few times. 75,000 yen for a song album? She knew her classmates weren't the most practical bunch. There really was no telling how the rich thought.

* * *

The proximity between the boys changed when they all moved to Boston. They all stayed in the housing Ouran had as an option for the living arrangements for students who go on exchange programs. It wasn't too far from the school with a good security system, garden, and a patio. It was smaller than what they were accustomed to, but it was enough.

Tamaki insisted on a study group to strengthen his bond with Haruhi, but his intended target had other plans and left. She left with the other female international students for a sleepover. Somehow, the rest of the hosts conglomerated at the place they knew best which was Kyoya's apartment. He had the nicest room which was connected to a balcony.

Hikaru was trying to karate chop a piece of paper with nothing but the force of air he generated with his hands. He was willing to do anything but study. Kaoru was memorizing something for English class. Honey ate snacks as wrote the draft for his paper due tomorrow. Mori was quietly reading for his philosophy lecture. Kyoya did his own thing as well with his laptop open as he read the materials needed and made notes.

Kyoya preferred to study alone because it offered him a time of solace, but now wasn't the time for that. He pushed his glasses and looked at Tamaki who's been pacing around the room and fidgeting around.

"Tamaki, I don't mind the study group, but will you stop opening the refrigerator every five minutes?" Kyoya looked at him. As if anything would have changed in that span of time.

Tamaki hugged himself and looked out the window. "You wouldn't understand my feelings of longing, Kyoya."

Hikaru and Kaoru's smile grew as they watched Kyoya control his irritation. Being the calmer person, he pinched his nose bridge and continued to work.

Their dynamics changed when Haruhi wasn't there with them. They didn't show her all their true colors. They still tried to keep their "best foot forward" when she was around. They never walked around in their underwear or cursed at each other. Kaoru was a tad bit cleaner with his things when she was around. Even Tamaki would do less absurd things. Mori wouldn't walk around without a shirt on.

Now that it was just them, Hikaru walked around in just his shirt and boxers. Tamaki and Kyoya were still wearing their pajamas. Mori walked around topless. Kaoru slouched in his seat with his legs spread wide. Honey didn't hold back with the amount of sweets he brought around.

"Hika-chan!" Honey covered his nose and moved to the opposite side of the room.

"Gomenasorry." He said while imitating their classmates who mixed Japanese and English words together. Hikaru smiled innocently and knew It was the effect of Mexican food.

Kyoya stood up and opened the window. He covered his nose with his hands and stayed right beside the window where the fresh air was.

Kaoru's face scrunched up. "You could at least move right beside Milord instead of farting beside us!"

The Host Club was a family in its own way. When Haruhi was present, there was this parent and child dynamic. When she wasn't there, they acted more like brothers. It was Honey, Kyoya, and Mori who first realized this change. They were a different kind of rowdy when it was just them.

Hikaru fanned his fart towards Tamaki's direction and with the help of the breeze, it got to him faster.

"Hikaru! A man shouldn't release gas like that." Tamaki scolded while pinching his nose. He was the princely Host who always looked his best regardless of the occasion. He was the living example of art.

That much was true, but Tamaki Suoh was also a regular human being who ate the extra chimichangas. He accidentally let out a burp much longer than expected.

"You guys, if you were planning on farting do it in your own rooms." Kyoya looked for the air freshener. Mexican food left them all gassy. There was something about the oiliness of food from this side of the world that just didn't work for them.

How Americans found anything deep fried as tasty will never make sense to these Japanese men. They had deep fried Oreos, deep fried onions, fried ice cream, and they even had this burger where the patty was wrapped in bacon and the entire thing was deep fried.

"Takashi, are you still feeling constipated?" Honey asked. He knew that his cousin's stomach didn't take the local food that well.

Mori nodded and felt his stomach fill up with gas. Kaoru understood his dilemma and handed him a can of soda.

"It helped me this morning."

Honey looked at Kyoya warily. He wasn't sure how the soda would help, but it was better than nothing. Kyoya shrugged his shoulders and just let things unfold.

The stoic host drank his soda in silence. Even the soda here was different. The fizz was much stronger compared to what they were used to back home.

Finally, the energy died down and they all went back to their original positions and started studying in peace. Then a deadly killer silently crept into the room.

Kaoru glared at Hikaru. "Can you stop farting?"

"That wasn't me!" Hikaru covered his face with his shirt now.

The scent was so bad that Tamaki and Kyoya ran to the balcony. Honey's eyes were tearing. There was only one person who was seemingly unaffected by the scent. They can only assume that he was the source.

"Who knew Mori-senpai's farts were silent as well?" Kyoya said as he opened more windows.

Tamaki couldn't help but snicker. His smile grew and somehow, he erupted into a fit of laughter. It was infectious and they were all laughing along as they tried to get the smell out. They didn't get much done. They all ended up having herbal tea to help with the constipation they felt instead of studying. That farting session concluded the first and last study group at Kyoya's place.

* * *

The clinics were always filled on a Friday. Kyoya politely nodded at the staff who were assisting the patients. He was on his way to Akito's clinic since they needed to fix the proposal for their father. They had to present it to the board in a week.

"Ootori!"

Kyoya turned around and saw Kuze looking all smug at him. The two were childhood friends and "rivals".

"I see you're back from America. When did start working here?"

"Two years ago." Kyoya replied civilly. "What brings you here?"

"Okaasan needed someone to accompany her for her annual checkup." Kuze looked back briefly to check up on his mother.

"You still owe me lunch if I remember correctly. We made that bet." Kyoya pushed his glasses up.

Kuze crossed his arms. "You still remember that?"

"I said 25 years old, right?" Kyoya gloated. "You had all the chances to prove me wrong, but I can see things didn't go your way."

It was a childhood bet. Kyoya figured out that Kuze liked Kana. He made a deal that Kuze was going to marry her when they were 25 years old. Kuze said it would be earlier than that.

Kuze rolled his eyes. "Did you like the fruits I sent over?"

"You know I hate dragon fruit."

"That's why I send it." Kuze pat his kohai's back when he saw his mother asking to come with him already. "It's nice to see you around Ootori. Don't try to act so cool and get on my nerves."

Kyoya finally entered his brother's clinic. There were no patients yet, so they had enough time to finish the proposal. They were discussing the flow briefly in the pantry and how they were going to lay down the whole presentation. Since Akito was moving to one of the other hospitals soon, they need to fix this before he left.

"Ootori-sensei?" A woman's voice called from the door.

Akito looked at his watched and wondered who it was. He had no patients scheduled at this time since he was going to talk to Kyoya. It must be an urgent complaint. He left the pantry and walked towards the examination area.

"Ah, Uemura-san. How may I help you?" Akito greeted.

Kyoya could see the reflection of the woman from the glass windows. It was Riku Uemura the famous swimsuit model. He was about to make his presence known, but a terrible scenario unfolded. It was like the universe aligned for that moment to happen. He was placed in a situation where showing up would make things worse but hiding in the pantry wasn't the best course of action as well.

"Uemura-san, what's wrong?" Akito asked. He was always professional with his patients. He never got too close with anyone. Not even friends or family.

Riku Uemura took off her blouse and bra. Exposing areas that were commonly left hidden for a man's imagination. Kyoya quickly looked up the ceiling and just hoped this would end soon. He couldn't possibly show up now.

The woman took Akito's hand to feel her chest. "Do you like it?"

"Is this what you wanted me to feel?"

"Do you want to hold it some more?" She asked seductively.

At this point, Kyoya wanted the earth to swallow him whole. There was nothing more awkward than his brother being seduced so outwardly while he was back here hiding.

"Yes, can I feel the other side as well?"

"Take your time, sensei."

"I do feel a lump right here on the outer part of your left breast, but the mass isn't that large yet. We can have you undergo the tests so we can see if it's something we need to think about."

When Kyoya heard his brother's reaction, his smile grew. He knew his brother was dense, but he didn't think it was this bad. He's only heard stories, but to witness it firsthand was another thing. Academically, Akito was the smartest and most athletic amongst them. He literally got perfect marks even in medical school. Even when Yuuichi was alive, Akito balanced everything quite well. He was also extremely strict with himself and was surprisingly conservative. The reason why he didn't approve of the Host Club was because the whole thought of it was shocking for him.

As high school students, Akito didn't think it was ethical or morally sound to run a host club. Looking back, Kyoya could see why his brother thought that way.

"I'll have the nurses accompany you to the ultrasound section so we can examine the area right away. I have some free time later so I can do the biopsy as well if you'd like."

What was supposed to be a heated session for the model became something else. Akito didn't even notice the attempt to seduce him. He walked back to the pantry after his patient left.

"Sorry about that, Kyoya. Where were we again?"

"You know she was trying to seduce you." Kyoya broke the news without any hesitation. He crossed his arms and stared at Akito with a disappointed expression.

"Letting you go to America was a bad idea. You're too promiscuous already. What makes you think that-" Akito's face flushed. He was shy about these things. He's never had a girlfriend before since he's too busy studying. Then it hit him.

Kyoya watched his brother groan and scream for the first time in his life. They never showed their emotions to each other so openly. They weren't exactly that close to share these things with each other. They were taught that at the end of the day, they only had family to depend on.

"She was hitting on me, wasn't she?!" Akito sat down and drank a glass of water. He was too overwhelmed with shock. His entire face was red and was suddenly sweating.

"Akito-niisan, if a woman grabs your hand to feel her breast, I think it's safe to assume she's trying to sleep with you."

* * *

Kyoya and Chizuru wondered how they were pulled into this charade. It was odd enough that Akito was going on a date. He never went out with anyone, but the fact that he personally invited Nanako Shouji along meant something. Unfortunately, it became a triple date of sorts. How they found themselves in Karuizawa for the weekend was a mystery that only Fuyumi Shido could pull off.

"Who suggested horseback riding?" Chizuru whispered as they watched Nanako clumsily navigate through the path with Akito close by. This was the oddest first date experience she's ever seen.

"I did." Kyoya replied. His regret was already setting in.

"Seriously?"

"Fuyumi-neesan asked me what kind of date would be nice." Kyoya's lips were pressed in a fine line.

"She doesn't look like she does this regularly." Chizuru was cringing at the point. "Why horseback riding?"

"Akito-niisan's not good with taking cues from the opposite sex." Kyoya explained. He bent his head slightly to avoid one of the branches.

"That's common knowledge. I still don't get what horses have to do with this?" Chizuru pursed her lips.

"Horses are sensitive to the emotions of humans. I'd hope their horses would be neighing non-stop if the atmosphere went bad."

Chizuru clenched the reins and snorted. She adjusted her seat since the saddle was making her back hurt already. "Like a lie detector?"

Kyoya nodded. "Something like that." It was a joke that Fuyumi took seriously. He never thought it would push through. What was worse was how Akito agreed to the entire proposition.

"I've never seen you more amused. Do you really like seeing your brother in such a situation?" Chizuru bit her lip. They couldn't laugh too loudly since the place was far too quiet.

Her friend didn't answer the statement. His silence usually meant yes.

"I still can't forget what happened two years ago." Chizuru continued. The infamous swim suit model experience spread like wildfire in hospital gossip. "Shall we take a break here?"

The two went down their horses to stretch for a few minutes. The mountain trail wasn't exactly friendly for beginners and their backs. The uneven path was making itself felt in their joints already.

"How did you get Riku Uemura to tell you that mortifying experience?" Kyoya asked as he sat back on his horse.

"I didn't ask. She practically told everyone!" Chizuru exclaimed a bit too loudly. She covered her mouth when she realized how loud her voice was.

"We had to tell her that Akito-niisan was dense. He's the worst when it came to those things. He's like a clueless shoujo manga character." She whispered.

"There is plenty of truth to that statement." Kyoya was fascinated with the apt description of his brother.

"I can't take this much longer." Chizuru straightened her back. "I'll go ahead. Will you be able to catch up?"

He watched Chizuru skillfully make her way through the path. He didn't think that equestrian was also part of her hobbies. He had a few lessons before, but he wasn't close to her level. It was their inside joke that Chizuru acted like a princess. Ballet dancing, archery, and equestrian were traditional hobbies that weren't as common anymore.

Luckily, Kyoya was a fast learner so catching up wasn't too hard for him.

They were the first ones to arrive to the end of the trail. There were some refreshments already waiting for them. It's been about ten minutes until they saw Akito and Nanako appear. The went on ahead, leaving the two to catch their breath. They went to the café that Fuyumi made dinner reservations for.

It was part of Fuyumi's grand scheme. Horseback riding and dinner at a nice café. She was really outdoing herself this time.

"He's trying though." Kyoya gestured for Chizuru to look at the scene unfolding as they were walking.

"Oh, he really is." Chizuru looked at Akito helping Nanako Shouji down her horse. "Should we wait for them?"

"They can manage." Kyoya dismissed. He gave his brother as much time alone time as possible. Akito was the type that got flustered easily.

"It's nice that it's working out for him, but I still don't get what our purpose here is."

Kyoya shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the rustic decorations of the café. Outdoor establishments were quite popular in the area. Honestly, he wasn't sure how to answer that question as well. Fuyumi can be just as unpredictable as Tamaki at times. There wasn't much relevance in trying to understand their reasons behind their actions. He was just glad that her schemes worked. Nanako did look like she was enjoying Akito's company.

They sat down and watched love blossom from the distance. The two were really hitting it off. Kyoya told Chizuru about how Nanako and Akito first met in Barcelona so this was a surprising turn of events already.

"Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about, but I'm not sure how to go along with it." Chizuru suddenly mentioned. Her voice was uncharacteristically serious.

"What is it?"

Chizuru sighed and fiddled with the lid of her cup. "Shohei asked me to marry him."

This was Chizuru's longest relationship by far. The two were introduced in an omiai last year. Shohei Takeuchi was into the publishing business. He was well-educated, perfect manners, and he came from a good family. There was nothing to question with the match.

Kyoya let Chizuru compose her thoughts. He had plenty of questions in mind. It was all rushing through. An unfamiliar feeling set in him. He wasn't sure how and why he was feeling as such. The last time he felt this was…well. He would rather not remember. He's been over Haruhi for years, but why was it resurfacing now?

"I'm not sure if I'm being selfish." Chizuru couldn't even look straight at him. "I…gosh." She laughed at herself for being so incoherent. She had the words planned in her head but saying it out loud was a different matter.

"Men like Shohei are rare. He genuinely respects my ideals, but he also has his own set of beliefs as well which I also respect. I'd be stupid to reject his offer but…" Chizuru bit her lip. "He asked if I was fine with quitting my job so I can take care of our family."

She looked up at Kyoya. "Do you think it's selfish of me to reject his offer? I'm not exactly the domestic type. I love working more than anything. I'm just not ready for that kind of responsibility."

"I don't think it's selfish. If I were in his place, I wouldn't want my future wife to feel uncomfortable with it." Kyoya crossed his arms.

"There are days when I feel like I'm a 40-year-old woman who's just tired, but then suddenly I realize I'm just not ready for this kind of responsibility yet. I'm not ready to be accountable for some human being. Do you understand how that kind of feeling?" Chizuru sighed.

"Yes. It's perfectly rational." Kyoya drank some water. His throat felt unusually dry and he could feel his heart racing.

"I just feel bad for rejecting him." Chizuru buried her face in her hands. "But I really can't see myself married anytime soon."

"Just tell him the truth. What he does next should tell you if he's worth it."

"Like he'd wait for me to feel ready for marriage?" Chizuru scoffed.

"Possibly. There are plenty of outcomes to consider at this point. You'll never know unless you tell him the truth."

Kyoya hoped that Shohei wouldn't wait. He didn't want him to wait for Chizuru. Why was he acting like a child? It's like that time when Fuyumi's daughter was crying because her best friend was "stolen" by her classmate.

"Should I just say yes?" Chizuru was feeling pressured. Plenty of women her age was getting married. Even if she had her own principles, sometimes societal expectations still make its way unconsciously. She wasn't immune to the judgement she constantly faced. Sometimes she felt like giving up.

"Don't say yes." Kyoya blurted out unconsciously. He cursed in his head multiple times when he realized what he just said.

"What?" Chizuru looked at him. She was surprised with his answer. They stared at each other. There was this growing silence that neither of them knew how to fill.

"You said it yourself, you weren't ready." Kyoya added. "As your friend, I wouldn't want to you get into such an arrangement because you felt pressured to do so. If he did value everything about you, he'd respect your wish to continue working."

Chizuru felt relieved. Sometimes, Kyoya's logic always brought her back in line. He always made sense, but she couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed. She wasn't certain why, but it's like she wanted to hear a different answer from Kyoya. Her emotions were all in disarray. Maybe she was just imagining things. There's no possibility for that scenario to unfold.

* * *

Chizuru took a deep breath as she came out of the operating room. "Good evening Kuze-san."

"Sensei, how is she?" Kuze was distraught. His wife has been in labor for exactly 24 hours.

"We've sedated her a bit to ease the pain she's feeling, but I'm afraid your wife's labor isn't progressing as fast as we'd like." Chizuru explained.

"Is the baby fine?"

"Yes, so far, the baby's heartbeat is still good, but if we prolong this it wouldn't be good for both of them. We're almost beyond the normal duration of labor."

Kuze sat down and nodded. "But they're still safe?"

Chizuru nodded. "Yes. I understand your wife wanted a natural delivery, but I also explained that in situations such as this, we would have to perform a c-section to ensure the health of the mother and baby."

"Yes, please do whatever you need to sensei."

"Very well. I'll have the nurses bring the forms here for you to sign and we'll perform the operation soon. You have nothing to worry about, Kuze-san. Your wife and baby are in good condition. Rest assured we'll do our best as well."

Those words were enough to put the first-time father at ease. He looked at Kyoya and bowed his head. He couldn't believe he asked his rival to stay with him the entire time. He wasn't sure how to handle this.

The two men stayed in the waiting room and watched the staff prepare for the operation. One of the perks of being a VIP patient was how they had their own waiting rooms right beside the operating room. Companions of the patient can comfortably wait in their room or here if they pleased. They can hear everything that's happening from where they were. They saw Chizuru washing her hands before entering the operating room. She wore her surgical gown and mask. The nurses were fixing the patient.

"Shall we play some music Maihara-sensei?"

"Yes, please."

"Shall I use your phone, Maihara-sensei?"

"Sure." Chizuru stood beside the patient and started planning out her approach. "Hina-sensei, can please forward it to track number 5 and put it on repeat?"

"Ah, you want to hear that song?"

"Yes. We need something to calm us down." Chizuru reasoned. "Scalpel please. I'll be starting the operation now."

"Noted, Maihara-sensei. Cutting time noted at 11:45pm."

The pediatrician was already on standby for the baby. "Maihara-sensei, when will you tell us who sang that song? It's so nice."

"It's a secret."

"It sounds oddly familiar though, right?" The anesthesiologist replied. "I'm not sure where I heard it before."

_"tsumetai yoru no tsukiakari ni terasarete"_

Kyoya's body stiffened as he heard what was playing in full blast.

It took Fourteen years for his shame to resurface. It was one of the Host Club gimmicks Kyoya regretted the most. It brought the most profit, but a lot of humiliating memories came along with it.

_"shizukesa dake ga boku no mune o umetsukushi"_

What was he thinking back then? His choices had a way of haunting him now. He wanted to rip his skin off now. There was nothing worse than hearing your own voice singing. Chizuru looked towards their direction. Even with a mask on, he was sure she was smiling.

_"nozomu koto nado shirazu ikite kita no ni"_

His composure remained as he kept Kuze company. It didn't seem like Kuze noticed what was happening. Kana was giving birth to their first child. Kuze paced around the hallway right in front of the delivery room. It wasn't Kuze's panic that was killing him. How did Chizuru get her hands on that?

The illusive Host Club Album was playing on full blast as Chizuru started the operation. Kyoya had no idea she got her hands on that album. She was going to get it after this. She wasn't leaving the hospital alive.

* * *

Takeshi and Kanan Kuze's daughter was born on November 22 at 12:02 am.

Kuze was celebrating at this point. He was filled with relief since he held his daughter just a few moments ago. Kanan was still asleep because of the anesthesia.

"Congratulations Kuze-san, the operation went well. Your wife didn't lose a lot of blood and there weren't any complications." Chizuru took off her mask. "There should be some bleeding for the next few days. We're really expecting that much. I'll be asking the nurses to check on the bandage to make sure we're not bleeding too much."

"Thank you, Maihara-sensei." Kuze bowed several times.

Chizuru went to the dressing room and changed back into her regular clothes. When she got to her office, she saw Kyoya waiting for her.

"You didn't have to wait for me." Chizuru said as she took her bag.

"You're going to take a cab again if I didn't wait." Kyoya placed his hands in his pockets. He was feeling a bit tired already. The VIP wards were taking its toll on him since he had other responsibilities as well.

"Happy birthday Kyoya."

Kyoya looked at his watch. It was only then he realized that it was already his birthday. "Thanks."

"Will we grab a drink before heading home?"

"I don't feel like taking care of anyone." Kyoya dismissed.

"We're not going to drink a lot. Just enough to welcome your birthday." Chizuru reasoned. "The noodle place should be open by now."

Chizuru looked at her phone. There was this specialty restaurant that was only open from 10 in the evening up until 6 in the morning. It was meant to cater for sobering up salary men and nocturnal creatures. The chef was quite eccentric, but he served quality meals.

"We're not drinking."

"It's just a 10-minute walk from the apartment. We're not drinking a lot. I have another operation tomorrow morning anyways." Chizuru pouted and looked at Kyoya with pleading eyes. Puppy dog eyes never worked on him, but there was no harm in trying.

"Very well." Kyoya put on his coat and scarf.

"It's going to be my treat tonight." Chizuru placed her arm over Kyoya's shoulder as they walked towards the elevator. The halls were already empty and most of the patients were already sleeping. "We can't have our hardworking leader starve."

Kyoya carefully held her wrist and took her arm off him. "We're still at work. Can you at least remember I'm your boss?"

"You're so strict." Chizuru pouted as she pressed the elevator button.

"No, I'm just setting an example for the employees."

"I'm just setting an example for the employees." Chizuru repeated. Copying his tone to the dot.

Kyoya rolled his eyes. Sometimes he questions his taste in people. Did he have to like such a nosy workaholic?

Chizuru stretched her arms and took a long deep breath. " _tsumetai yoru no tsukiakari ni terasarete utsushidasareru machi no kage ni kakureta"_

Kyoya glared at her. "Quiet."

"No one knows its you." Chizuru laughed. She ignored Kyoya's warning. They entered the elevator so they could finally go home.

 _"shinjirareru mono nante mou nani hitotsu nai to"_ Chizuru continued to sing as the elevator went down.

"Stop it." Kyoya said without looking at her.

_"yukikau hitogomi no naka mono-"_

Kyoya had enough and covered Chizuru's mouth. "Do you have a death wish?"

The smile on Chizuru's face was absolutely radiant. She burst into laughter as she looked at Kyoya's perturbed expression. She finally found a weakness in the Shadow Kings impenetrable armor. It was the first time she's seen him look so desperate for her to keep quiet. There wasn't even anyone else in the elevator to hear her sing.

"Why are you so ashamed of it? It's a nice song." She said as she tried to stop herself from giggling too much. "I'll be honest with you. Your song sounds really nice."

Kyoya looked the opposite direction. He wasn't used to being flustered. "Stop it with your flattery. What do you want?"

"Nothing, really." Chizuru laughed. She was really amused with how this was affecting him. She rarely saw this side of him. Her composed friend who always stayed calm even if a building was burning right in front of them was feeling uneasy because of his own voice. "Oh my, you're really embarrassed. Your ears are so red."

* * *

The pair were walking to the noodle place after Kyoya parked his car back home. There wasn't any street parking at that side of town so walking was their only option. He felt relieved that Chizuru stopped mentioning the song the entire ride back home. He wasn't sure how to handle it anymore.

Their apartment was close to one of the famous spots for restaurants and get-togethers. It was also a plus that it was close to the river, so the entire place was just scenic. During the spring, the cherry blossoms bloomed in full effect. The place was still filled with people even at one in the morning. Plenty of salary men were going around drinking and there were a number of curious tourists who observed their work culture.

Chizuru's bright yellow coat was eye catching as is. Kyoya wanted to drape her in something less conspicuous. Sometimes she wasn't aware how much attention she brought to herself by just standing or walking. A lot of men were staring at her as they passed.

"Kyoya?"

"Yes?" Kyoya placed his hands in his pockets. The cold air was starting to get to him.

"Who wrote that song?" Chizuru rubbed her hands together and blew on it.

"It was a joint effort between Mori, Kaoru, and I."

Chizuru blinked a few times trying to absorb the information. "Wait, Mori and Kaoru?"

"Mori-senpai is quite adept with words, especially in writing." Kyoya explained.

"I didn't expect that from a man of such…few words." Chizuru laughed at the irony of it all.

Their destination was one of the few modern fusion restaurants that they enjoyed. It was listed as one of the go to places by both locals and a couple of brave foreigners. The bright red sign and flames written everywhere made it known that they served nothing else but spicy food.

"Even in the name is tacky, the place is really good." Kyoya commented as they went in.

Chizuru nodded her head a few times. "Nuke-ddles is such a terrible play of words."

The place was already filled with people. They were lucky to get one of the last few tables available. The two looked at the menu and flipped over the next few pages.

"Welcome to Nuke-ddles noodle bar. I'm Yato your server. Can I take your order?"

"I'll have the Kuro soba noodles. Level 5 and two orders of gyoza." Kyoya said as he handed him the menu. He wasn't entirely sure why he even read the menu when he always ordered the same thing.

"One order of Shiro noodles level 4. Can I have the set B sides as well?" Chizuru asked. She looked at the drinks menu and pointed at one of their famous home brewed sake. "I'll have a bottle of this as well."

"Can I please have an additional two bottles of beer?" Kyoya added.

The waiter repeated their order and two adults sat across each other in silence. They didn't always have the need to fill each moment with noise or conversation. There was this comfortable silence that was only felt between close friends.

"Chizuru, look at this." Kyoya showed her his phone and Tamaki's greeting on social media. It was a picture of the two men in Barcelona.

"You guys look so young here." Chizuru leaned forward. "You haven't changed one bit. Just the glasses, but other than that you look the same."

It was the unfortunate circumstance of Tamaki's European descent. He didn't look that old, but if you looked at him now a lot of changes can be seen. On the other hand, it was like time stopped for the Ootori. There was something with the Ootori gene that made them look younger than their actual age.

"He posted an entire album." Kyoya shook his head in disbelief.

"Should I post our pictures as well?" Chizuru asked. "Like that time you got back from Boston."

"Don't you dare." Kyoya warned. Studying in America took its toll on him. He didn't eat more, but there was something with American food that just made him gain weight. When he got back home, he had to exercise to lose the extra pounds.

"You did look better with some weight, to be honest." Chizuru leaned back and recalled Kyoya's post-America physique. "You were really skinny back in high school. At least now, you've got it balanced out."

When Kyoya got back from America, no one could tell him he gained a bit weight considering the circumstances back then. Everyone that went to America for a prolonged period of time gained weight at some point.

"I'm surprised that swimming made you lose a lot of weight that quickly though." Chizuru drank the water that was served earlier.

"It was Mori-senpai's idea." Kyoya scrolled through his phone and saw that even Hikaru and Kaoru sent their birthday greetings as well.

Chizuru was looking at her phone and she almost choked on her water. "Oh wow, how did they get this photo of you? I'm sure a lot of girls are already saving this to their phone."

A photo of Kyoya getting out of the pool was posted with a caption 'Happy birthday to the sexiest mother in town'. Kyoya's back and shoulders looked so broad and well defined. She swiped to check the next photo and she got into a fit of laughter.

"When in the world did you get abs?" Chizuru started laughing. She showed the photo of Kyoya having almost a celebrity level like body. "This is definitely photoshopped."

"What makes you think that's fake?" Kyoya raised his brow with a hint of amusement in his face.

"I'd like to remind you who changed your clothes when you were sick." Chizuru crossed her arms. Her smile was wide. She knew he was bluffing. She looked at the photoshopped image again zoomed to the area of interest. She nodded to herself and concluded it was digitally enhanced.

She decided to soften the blow since it was his birthday anyway. "Okay, there was maybe there something, but not like this."

"I should tell them to take this down." Kyoya sighed.

The smug look on Chizuru's face said everything. "The number of thirsty women running after you would double."

It didn't take long for their order to arrive and being creatures of habit, they did their usual routine. Chizuru took Kyoya's noodles and started mixing it for him. It was something she developed since middle school since Benibara couldn't mix her noodles without making a mess. Some things were just carried over with a change in recipient. Kyoya still recalls the first time Chizuru mixed his noodles and how much confusion and awkwardness it caused. He grew into the habit with time. Personally, he didn't mind someone mixing his food for him.

"Here." Chizuru handed his bowl.

Kyoya bowed his head slightly and poured her beer and added some sake.

"Sake bombs?" Chizuru smiled. "You're in a good mood. Is it because we reached the quota already?"

"We reached those last month. I'm fixing a different project already." Kyoya replied as Chizuru poured his drink.

The two ate their food with a sense of contentment. They did nothing else but work, eat, and sleep. They were terrible at maintaining romantic relationships. Chizuru never went beyond a three months. Never. Kyoya just didn't date as much. He obliged his friends and family with the obligatory blind dates and omiais, but he never went to one voluntarily. If Chizuru had the reputation of short relationships, Kyoya had a reputation of being the jumping point to marriage. Plenty of girls he met or dated found "the one" after him.

Chizuru wiped her eyes and drank some water. She took a few deep breaths before taking another bite. "This is really good, but it's really spicy."

"Just get a lower level next time." Kyoya ate his food unfazed. He looked up to see his companion already sweating and flushing from the food they were eating. "You're turning red already."

Chizuru wiped her forehead and took her glass of beer "Happy birthday, Kyoya. Here's to 31 years of living."

* * *

"Oh, I left our takeout." Chizuru froze when she realized her error. No wonder her hands felt lighter than expected.

"I'll get it." Kyoya offered and went back to the restaurant. Luckily, they weren't too far yet.

Chizuru blew her cheeks and rubbed her hands together and saw the bench close by. She slightly lost her footing because of a loose pebble as she tried to sit. She stretched her legs and waited for Kyoya to come back. The sudden silence was enough for her mind to conjure a plan.

"Let's go." Kyoya held out the paper bag and walked ahead.

"Wait, give me a minute." Chizuru limped as she walked towards him.

"What happened to you?" Kyoya's brows furrowed as he judged her for being so clumsy.

Chizuru looked at him and sighed. Sometimes Kyoya was impossible. "I lost my footing, okay?"

"Are you okay?"

Chizuru nodded. "I can manage."

The two walked back with a much slower pace which bothered Kyoya. He was naturally a fast walker and he detested people who hogged the streets and walked at a leisurely pace. He looked back and saw Chizuru struggle. She never asked for help with these kinds of things. He wasn't sure if it was her stubborn mindset, feminist ideals, or both.

Kyoya walked back and offered his arm and looked at him.

Chizuru looked at his arm and continued to walk on her own. "I'm fine, really."

"I know you are, but I don't plan on walking at this pace and getting home by dawn." Kyoya said with his arm still extended. He took Chizuru's bag and held it for her along as her arm linked with his.

Chizuru looked at the ground as they walked back. Tightly holding onto Kyoya for support. He was a lot more considerate than he let on. He stopped a few times just to make sure she was fine.

"Can you be a little more careful with yourself?" Kyoya broke the silence as they walked back. "I can't always look after you."

Chizuru stared at Kyoya and blinked slowly. He let his true thoughts slip. Whenever he spoke without pretense like this it only meant he was tired. "Let's hurry home. You must be tired."

Kyoya could feels his eyes starting to feel heavy, but they were close to the apartment. Chizuru watched him rub his eyes and he suppressed a yawn. "Will you find it easier to walk if I hold you here as well?" he asked as he cautiously placed his arm around Chizuru's waist.

"Y-yeah." Chizuru could feel the warmth radiating from Kyoya as they got closer to each other.

No words were said until they went to their rooms. Chizuru closed her door and bit her lip as she leaned against the wall. She wasn't sure if that plan of hers was a good idea since its resurfaced emotions she's learned to suppress.

"You're an idiot." She said to herself as she walked with ease to the bathroom to freshen up. It's been a long day and tomorrow was going to be another busy day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this far. I hope you're enjoying the story as much as I am.
> 
> I decided to make snippets of Kyoya's life from high school, college, mid twenties, and until the present. It's a nice build up and I can really imagine the Hosts acting all rowdy when it's just them. Haruhi does serve as a buffer so when she isn't there things just turn chaotic. Also, I wanted to write more about Akito since he's one of the few siblings featured in the manga. He always gave me that black sheep and hot headed feel with that little exposure. I hope I was able to do him some justice here.
> 
> Then I love good old deep fried food, but I can imagine how the healthier japanese diet would have a problem with this much oil and fat.
> 
> Also, I just wanted a reason to listen to all the Hosts songs so I spent a segment for all of us to reminisce together. For those who aren't aware, their voice actors have character songs and it's all on youtube.
> 
> As usual, I'd like to know your thoughts and feelings. Feedback is an authors bestfriend.


	11. The Game

Kaoru gave Kyoya the look. It was the expression he gave when he was in a pinch. Kaoru and Kyoya had the 'younger brother' alliance. They both had hot-headed brothers to look out for. The two have done a lot of cover ups for the Hosts. They usually ended up (Kyoya more than Kaoru), cleaning up whatever mess was made.

"It's like spring break all over again." Kaoru looked at the state Hikaru was in. It was almost unbelievable how he got there, but it's a good thing phones nowadays had that tracking feature.

Kyoya stared back at him and looked at the chaos that was waiting for them. Karma had a way of making itself felt.

Kaoru closed his eyes and massaged his temples. He was applying the new relaxation technique he learned from yoga class a few days ago. Breathing was key. Slow deep breaths.

"I have no idea what he's thinking."

"If memory serves me right, he called his ex and made a scene." Kyoya looked down on the floor where Hikaru was sleeping. "I doubt he did any thinking."

"I couldn't believe he found himself taking the Cessna to Hokkaido." Kaoru was about to lose it. He didn't have the patience do deal with his brother's impulsiveness at times.

Kyoya's lips were pressed in a fine line. Mori was speaking with one of the park managers. Luckily, one of the head administrators was a close family friend of the Morinozuka family. No further damage on that part should be felt. What was left was the crippling feelings of regret and shame. That was something he didn't have a remedy for.

"I couldn't believe we're actually here." Kyoya replied. "At least he chose a scenic place to pass out."

Hikaru slept peacefully on the ground of Cape Kamui. It was one of the famous landmarks with a steep hiking trail that lead to a picturesque view of the sea, steep cliffs, and a light house. It unfolded in an overwhelming manner with an unobstructed view of the sky. In front of the cape is a reef called "the Kamui rock" which was sacred Shinto object. They found Hikaru at the edge of the trail with a bottle of Hennessey.

"I'm quite surprised he made it here in one piece." Kyoya looked at his watch. That was a feat in itself considering the terrain and strong winds.

"He puked on a national heritage site." Kaoru crouched and continued on with his deep breathing exercises. "Yuko was the first girl he took seriously, and she played him."

Kyoya listened to his kohai rant. As the twins matured, their differences in character grew, but they complemented each other well. It didn't come as a surprise to any of them that Hikaru would be the one who was always fooling around. Hikaru Hitachiin was the life of the party. He was also notorious for having fast paced relationships.

"Tamaki booked us a room at one of their hotels in the area. He apologized for his absence." Kyoya glanced back at Hikaru as he spoke. There was still some vomit on Hikaru's shirt, but he wasn't touching that.

"At least we can relax." Kaoru took one nice long breath. He might as well take advantage of the scenic environment to practice the deep breathing exercises. "Thanks for coming with me, senpai."

"This ex he dated was the one that lasted half a year, right?" Kyoya confirmed as he continued to scrutinize the Hitachiin that was passed out on the ground.

Kaoru took a deep breath with his eyes still closed. "Yes, then he went on a hook up frenzy after that."

The drunken Hikaru started shifting his position. "I have big dick energy." He mumbled.

Kyoya and Kaoru looked at each other questioningly.

"What in the world is big dick energy?" Kyoya couldn't stop himself from commenting. He wasn't as familiar with the more slang terms teenagers used now a days.

"Confidence without the cockiness." Kaoru succinctly explained.

Kyoya hid his surprise with the term.

"I…love…." Hikaru placed his head on Kyoya's foot. "You…"

Kyoya raised his brow and slid his food away. He didn't want any vomit on him even if Hikaru was a close friend.

"You…bastard." Hikaru held onto Kyoya's ankles. "Passed…high score."

He carefully moved away from the incoherent Hitachiin and the they waited until they saw Mori walking back with the park owners. It looks like the situation was handled well. Kaoru stood up and dusted off himself.

"It's show time." Kaoru internalized the apology already. "You've got my back, right senpai?"

"I'll fill in the gaps." Kyoya looked at his watch. Based on how things were looking, it wouldn't be too hard to get Hikaru to the hotel. The park owners looked like a docile bunch. Creating some pitiful story behind Hikaru's inexcusable actions should be easy enough.

The two decided to approach their target to soften the blow and offer their apologies as well. With a bit of charming on Kyoya's end, it wasn't difficult to win their hearts and sympathy despite the trouble Hikaru caused. Kaoru took note to send them one of their latest collections soon just to express their regret for the inconvenience they've caused. As the two went on, Mori carried Hikaru on his back with ease. This wasn't the first time it happened, and he doubt this would be the last.

* * *

Chizuru's clinic accommodated women of all ages with varying complaints from all walks of life. She wasn't like the other VIP doctors who had a special clinic for the more affluent patients, but instead they had to line up like everyone else.

Kirimi Nekozawa was 19 years old already, but her brother insisted on accompanying her to the doctor. She hid her embarrassment as she looked at her phone while waiting for her turn.

"Kirimi, shall I make an offering for your health?" Umehito Nekozawa eerily asked.

"Niichan, you don't have to do anything." Kirimi pouted.

The nurse peered out the door and looked at her chart. "Nekozawa, Kirimi. Nekozawa, Kirimi."

"Finally." Kirimi stood up and went inside the clinic with her brother trailing shortly after her. She ignored the stares since he was still wearing his robe which was shocking for the other patients. Most people thought that her brother was always cosplaying, but he still couldn't stand the sun.

Chizuru looked at Kirimi's file from her computer and smiled. "Good morning, Nekozawa-san."

Umehito Nekozawa placed a small curse carving on Chizuru's table. "To ward off the bad spirits. I felt an ominous energy while waiting."

Chizuru laughed nervously as she took the wooden carving. "Thank you, Nekozawa-san. I'll keep this here then."

She placed the seal on the windowsill and directed her attention to Kirimi. "Nekozawa, Kirimi, right?"

Kirimi nodded shyly.

"How do you want me to call you?"

"Kirimi is fine."

Chizuru smiled politely. Kirimi looked so innocent. It says in her file she was complaining about period pains so it shouldn't be too difficult.

"What seems to be the problem, Kirimi-san?" Chizuru asked.

Umehito Nekozawa was just like any worrisome brother. "She said she was having period pains. I've been giving her medicine the past few days, but it wasn't helping."

"What medicines were you taking Kirimi-san?" Chizuru directed the question to the young woman, but the guardian was probably more distraught than the patient herself.

"I started with regular potions then I moved onto eastern medicine, but none of it helped." He answered for her again. "Kirimi is shy about these things which is why I had to go with her. She couldn't even find the courage to put a love spell on her crush. She's so pure and innocent. I don't know what I did to deserve a sister like her."

Chizuru sat up straight and interlaced her fingers. The doting brother had to be dealt with or else she couldn't get the full picture. "I see. We'll examine her then, but I'll have to ask you to leave the room. I'll just do a pelvic exam and an ultrasound to check if there's anything of concern."

Nekozawa bowed his head a few times. "I'll wait outside then."

Chizuru gestured for the nurses to assist the man. "Yes, please. This won't take long. I'll forward the results as soon as we get it."

When the door closed and Kirimi was sure no one else was there to listen to her, she let out a long sigh and leaned against the table. "Sensei, do you think I'm getting an implantation bleed?"

Chizuru blinked a few times with the sudden change in persona. What was once a demure innocent looking girl suddenly vanished and transformed into someone far more mature.

"I read in the internet that this could be an early sign of pregnancy." Kirimi closed her eyes in frustration.

"It might not be an implantation bleed. There are plenty of factors that can cause your symptoms." Chizuru explained.

"I shouldn't have slept with him. We had sex two weeks ago without a condom." Kirimi vocalized her annoyance.

"It's too early to assume anything for now." Chizuru skillfully hid her surprise. "I'll have to examine you first before we do anything."

Chizuru lead Kirimi to the examination room and she sat on the bed. She noticed a few bruises on her legs and arms "Are these intentional or…"

"We like it rough." Kirimi answered without flinching. She let Chizuru conduct the pelvic exam without a fuss.

It was a good thing Kirimi didn't see Chizuru's expression. The doctor was already feeling sorry for herself for not having a life as exciting as hers. Chizuru briefly had feelings of regret with her career choice.

"I should have asked him to pull out, but I was too busy enjoying being choked. What's wrong with me?!" Kirimi suddenly said.

"There's nothing wrong with that." Chizuru reassured. "Have you gotten other forms of contraceptives before?"

"No." Kirimi almost cried. "My brother would kill me if he found out I was taking pills or something."

Chizuru started the ultrasound and waited for the results of the routine pregnancy test to come in. "Well Kirimi-san, it seems like you aren't pregnant. I understand that you're at that age where you want to get closer with your partner so how about we start you on contraceptives?"

"Aren't condoms good enough?"

"I would suggest using condoms and another protective measure so there's a lower chance of getting pregnant." Chizuru offered. "Are you seeing other people or just one person?"

"Just one." Kirimi sighed.

"You can take oral contraceptive pills, injectables, implants." Chizuru took out a brochure for her. "There are plenty of options, but i would suggest an implant since you don't have to think about it daily like pills."

"Do you use implants, sensei?" Kirimi asked.

"I have the best contraceptive in the world." Chizuru pitied herself for getting a job that didn't allow dating. There was no better form of contraception than being a workaholic stuck in the hospital.

"Sensei, is it true that older men are better in bed?" Kirimi asked while looking at the possible options.

Chizuru froze. She wasn't surprised with the sexual promiscuity. Teenagers were quite liberal and times were different. It was more on how she didn't have much advice to offer for sex with men. That wasn't exactly her forte. She's had a few encounters with men, but she could keep count of it with just one hand. "It's all about preference, I guess."

"I've always wanted to date an older man. Do you think someone like Kyoya-sama would entertain me?" Kirimi asked. "He looks like the type who's definitely a dom."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that." Chizuru answered as professionally as she could while filling up Kirmi's chart. She was internally cringing and laughing at this point. Her disgust and amusement were fighting each other.

"Sensei, do you think Kyoya-sama into choking? He's got such big dick energy and just screams daddy vibes." Kirmi groaned and realized her dilemma. She realized her type a few years ago, but she wasn't sure how to approach the man. She saw him at the main lobby earlier and her knees just went weak.

"I don't know about daddy or his…uhhh, size, but honestly speaking he's not the best person to date." Chizuru indulged the young woman. She had no idea what big dick energy was though. "He lives to work. He doesn't even hug or kiss the women he dated."

Chizuru and Kyoya never spoke to each other about their more intimate encounters. This was uncharted territory for the both of them. If he was hiding a few flings, she'd never know. She wouldn't want to know as well. Though Kirmi did have a point. Kyoya did seem to be the type who'd choke you in bed, but she couldn't confirm that yet.

* * *

It was a typical Friday evening for Kyoya. He went out of his balcony and lit his cigarette. When his thoughts raced and went on and on, this was the source of his calm. He took a deep breath and let the nicotine in his system. He looked at the traffic building up from the main streets. He mindlessly watched the people making their way home. When his thoughts finally cleared. He was about to go inside but he heard Chizuru greeting Noel. She went out to the balcony and was surprised with the sudden drop in temperature.

"What are you doing here?" Chizuru asked. She laughed all of a sudden upon seeing her friend. The memories of her talking to Kirimi earlier that day came to mind.

"Clearing my mind." Kyoya looked her skeptically considering why she was laughing out of the blue. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Chizuru raised her phone and frowned. "I'm waiting for Watanabe-sensei's message about the case presentation next week."

Kyoya couldn't believe Chizuru still hasn't called her phone service provider about the problem she's been getting with her phone. The apartment had a new security system installed which interfered with the signal, but with a few adjustments with the phone the problem could easily be fixed.

"You haven't called-"

_"I guess your parents don't know that you're pregnant, Kagu-chan."_

Kyoya and Chizuru looked at each other. His sentence just abruptly ended when they heard someone screaming from the next room. No amount soundproofing can cancel out the noise their neighbors were generating. They could vaguely hear the discussion from where they were.

_"P-pregnant?"_

Chizuru went back inside and took two wine glasses with her and a bottle of red wine. Carefully listening to all the action as she poured each of them a glass.

_"Yes."_

Chizuru was shocked with the reveal, but Kyoya expected that much. The Yamada family put Chizuru's family to shame when it came to drama. The Yamada patriarch had two wives. He divorced with his first wife years ago, but they had a daughter. He also had another daughter with his current wife.

_"Your daughter had an affair with my husband and got pregnant."_ The woman paused for a few seconds before continuing. _"Just right after otousama made a huge investment with my husband's company."_

Kyoya sipped his wine and leaned against the ledge and lit another cigarette. As if to justify his presence in the balcony. Chizuru was acting all frustrating trying to wait for a non-urgent message. They had to act natural. It just so happens they needed to be at the balcony at that exact moment.

_"It's a misunderstanding. I'll explain it somehow." The man defended._

_"You should have taught your daughter not to play with married men."_

The sound of slapping was more than enough for the two. Chizuru was startled with the sudden commotion. They could hear the two sisters fighting.

_"You crazy bitch!"_

Kyoya crossed his arms and shook his head. His mother would have scolded him by now for eavesdropping. "Show's over."

Chizuru squinted and motioned for him to stay quiet. "Wait, I think there's more."

_"You should watch who you're dealing with. It's not that hard to start a scandal. Shall I sue you for defamation? I know countless number of ways to ruin your future in a single strike."_

The duo suddenly felt the weight of the conversation. Chizuru bit her lip as she shook her head slowly while sipping some wine. They heard the door slam and it seems like the person of interest has left the room. Chizuru sighed and now things started falling into place. That's why their neighbor kept asking her questions about pregnancy symptoms for 'her friend'. The two went inside as things mellowed down.

"The other housewives are bound to talk about that." Kyoya mentioned in passing as he sat on the couch.

"I'm sure." Chizuru sat beside Noel and stroked the feline to sleep.

Being in an exclusive apartment complex had its perks and downfalls. Their neighbors were all a-list members of society. It was easy to have a reason to befriend or make connections with all these 'class A' individuals, but gossip is rampant in these places. One can never let their guard down unless they wanted the rest of their social circle to know what secrets they were hiding.

Within minutes, Chizuru's phone notified her that there was a message. Most housewives were part of this messaging group that was used to announcements about the gatherings and events held in their apartment. It was also a place of information dissemination from new rules in the area to the latest gossip. The topics were endless.

"Wow, they're fast. It seems like Minamoto-san was listening as well. She gave the entire live update." Chizuru sat beside Kyoya and the two scrolled through the chat group.

"They have far too much time in their hands." Kyoya expressed his distaste.

"And you benefit from it." Chizuru shook her head slowly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kyoya replied back as was browsing through a few things in his laptop.

Chizuru rolled her eyes. Kyoya was a resourceful man. He used anything to get more information on other people. Chizuru was aware how vital in this process. He would never join the chatgroup himself since he was far too concerned with his Ootori image, but Chizuru sent him regular updates. The chat group spoke about all sorts of things. There was one instance where Kyoya found out just in time to sell his shares for a certain company that was bankrupt before word became public.

It was common sense that news traveled fastest in a chat group filled with housewives. They'll spread gossip faster than what the government can contain.

"So I'm guessing Kagura-san got pregnant with Misaki-san's husband? That can't be good for his company now." Kyoya pushed his glasses. He could feel his how stiff his shoulders were while he was buying off some stocks.

"How do you feel about selling 10% of your stocks from NTT docomo?" Kyoya asked.

Chizuru stood behind him and looked at the numbers on his laptop screen. "I really don't get it. What are you going to do with yours?"

"I'm selling some then investing it to IC Group." He replied as he rubbed his shoulders and readjusted his posture.

There was a certain spark in Kyoya's eyes whenever he felt confident with certain high-risk investments. Business has always placed him in a challenging situation that his entire being craved for. It was a game of numbers and probability and he was extremely adept with it.

"Just do whatever you want. The last time you had that look, the stocks you bought tripled in value within a month." Chizuru placed her hands on Kyoya's shoulders started massaging it. "Haven't you considered the pressure of being an Ootori as the source of your back pain?"

"It may have crossed my mind." Kyoya closed his eyes and let himself relax. No one gave shoulder massages like Chizuru.

"But you enjoy it." Chizuru jibed.

"Mhmm." Kyoya sat up suddenly remembering something urgent he had to do. He mentally cursed himself for forgetting.

Chizuru stared at him and wondered why the sudden look of dismay until she realized what it was. "What's…Oh!"

"Daichi's baseball game is tomorrow." Kyoya took a deep breath. He cursed himself for accidentally scheduling a meeting with one of his clients for lunch. He glanced at Chizuru with an unusually warm smile. He rarely asked for favors, but this was something he needed.

"You'll be late, won't you?" Chizuru crossed her arms. Kyoya promised Daichi he'd be there since his mother was overseas. He usually went to these events in her place. She took out her phone and messaged those on duty tomorrow that had something to do that day.

"You're lucky I rescheduled my clinic schedule." Chizuru said as she gave her instructions for any possible cases. "You'll make it, right?"

Kyoya looked at his schedule and messaged his secretary. "Yes, but I won't be there during the opening."

"I got it." Chizuru reassured. "Just make sure you'll be there for his game."

* * *

Daichi Ootori wiped the blood from his lip. The team they went against decided to pick a fight with one of their teammates and he found himself right in the middle of it. He wasn't as tall or as strong as his opponents, so he wasn't exactly in a good position.

All he knew was the guy that started the fight from Aomori Academy was the son of one of the most powerful Yakuza families in that area. The guy's father was there as well fighting the other parents. No one in the right mind would go against the man so the other parents stood there quietly.

"You guys were playing dirty!" his classmate argued.

Daichi stood up and he knew he had no choice but to stand up for himself now. The adults didn't want to interfere with the fight that was ensuing. No one was going to win his fights for him. What he didn't know was how heroes always showed up at the last minute.

Chizuru walked to where all the commotion was while wearing her designer pant suit with matching bag and heels.

"What's going on here?" Chizuru asked as she took off her shades. Looking directly at the coach and parents who were bullying children.

She carefully assessed the situation and looked at the boy who started the fight. "Did you come here to play or beat younger kids up? Children shouldn't be acting this violent."

The boy's father was outraged and looked at the woman who was picking a fight with him. How dare this woman talk to his son like that?

"Who the hell are you?" The man asked. He poked Chizuru's shoulder and scoffed at her. "How dare you talk to my son like that?"

"Then what about you? How dare you touch someone else's kid?" Chizuru retaliated.

"What? That kid with glasses is your kid then?!" The man screamed back.

Chizuru couldn't hold back her emotions now. No more polite speech. No one speaks to Daichi like that.

"Yeah, he's my kid." Chizuru placed her arm over Daichi's shoulder and held him close. She bent down and whispered just loud enough for him to hear, "Just play along."

Daichi wasn't sure where this was going, and he nodded discreetly. He was taught never to draw such attention to himself, so this kind of thing was new to him. He was too stunned with the whole situation.

Chizuru didn't care about the stares or the scene she was causing. It annoyed her that just because these boys didn't have their last names printed on their uniforms doesn't mean they could be treated like trash. It seems like this man wasn't aware which families he was picking a fight with. There was this anger growing inside of her and after years of hanging around with Ootoris she's learned a few things.

"I'll ask you only once, why did you hit my son's face?" Chizuru looked at him. Her gaze unwavering. She wasn't intimidated by burly men.

"When and where did I hit him?" The man defended. "What makes you think I hit him? The boys were just having a disagreement with each other. I didn't hit him."

"You didn't hit him?" Chizuru repeated and she looked at him skeptically.

Daichi hated liars more than anything and clutched his 'mother'. "Yes, he did."

"You're just making things up." He rolled his eyes at the mother and son duo.

"Is that so?" Chizuru crossed her arms. "Well, you see I asked our private police to film my son's baseball game and I have an entire crew who took a video of the whole thing. Shall we double check the footage? I even got a high-resolution drone to film the game just for him."

The Yakuza boss suddenly felt the disadvantage on his side. "The boys just had a disagreement. That thing on his lip isn't even a bruise. It's just some dirt. Nothing to worry about."

"Shall we have a doctor check then?" Chizuru asked.

The man saw the opportunity to bribe any doctor that would examine the boy. He wasn't sure what family this was, but they couldn't be more powerful than his. "Yeah, go ahead! Have a doctor look at him!"

Shouting was a means of intimidation which wasn't going to work for Chizuru. She's a doctor and not just any doctor. She was an obstetrician who dealt with the worst mood swings from her patients and the nervous wreck husbands who tagged along every single day.

"What a coincidence then! I'm a doctor and I can tell that this bruise is quite deep." Chizuru laughed spitefully.

She examined Daichi's lip again and glared at the man. "Should I write a report with my medical findings about this? This thing on his lip isn't just dirt."

The father and son suddenly realized their mistake. They underestimated their opponent.

As if things weren't difficult enough, Chizuru held her "son" close and examined his busted lip. "Shall we tell your father about this? Oh, you poor thing. It's a good thing we own a hospital so getting you the best medical attention wouldn't be too hard."

Kyoya watched the entire scene unfold and he wasn't sure where to place himself. He didn't have the chance to remedy the situation before things got worse. Such an outward conflict could have been avoided, but the last thing he wanted was to stop Chizuru when she was fuming. Everyone knows that it's best to let things simmer down when Chizuru Maihara was angry. She had a temper that was almost like her father's when irked the wrong way.

"Darling!" Chizuru waved when she saw that Kyoya was finally there. She glanced back at the two. "I hope you two have a passport."

Kyoya's stereotypical features were enough for the Yakuza boss to realize his mistake. Kyoya Ootori was everything a stereotypical Ootori was. Down from his hair color, manner of speaking, even how he walked. People from the underworld knew never to mess with the Ootori family.

* * *

The three of them went back to Kyoya's apartment after that. Kyoya made sure that the school administration knew how the parents and coach of the opposing team handled the situation. It wasn't difficult for him to show the extent of his influence at that point. He also took note of asking Yuzuru Suoh to let the students put their last names on their jerseys so situations like this could be avoided. The reason why the student's first names were placed was so no biases from the family names could be seen, but surely this should already be enough proof to go back to the traditional way of doing certain things.

Chizuru held Daichi close and placed some ointment on his wounds. "You should be more careful with who you pick fights with."

"I didn't start it." Daichi pouted. He looked the opposite direction to hide his embarrassment and frustration.

"I know, but sometimes not fighting is the best thing to do." Chizuru wiped the dirt off the boy's face and packed the first aid kit away.

"But he was being mean." Daichi defended.

"I know and I'm proud of you for being so brave. I'm sure your uncle is too, right Kyoya?" Chizuru squeezed Daichi's hand.

Kyoya nodded. He sat beside his nephew and tried to explain sentiments. "It could have been handled differently, but I agree with your intentions. However, as members of the Ootori family we should not stoop down to their level."

"Stoop down?" Daichi asked.

"Yes, just because they're fighting in a certain way doesn't mean you have to fight back in the same manner." Kyoya rationally stated.

Chizuru glared at him. Her eyes said everything. She didn't understand how Kyoya thought sometimes. Was this manner of thinking ingrained in their family at such a young age?

She rubbed Daichi's back and still gave Kyoya that look to which he averted his gaze. "What your uncle's trying to say is, you don't need to fight everyone you see."

"Then how come you fought him back?" Daichi asked.

Kyoya felt his amusement swell. How did Chizuru plan on explaining that to Daichi then? He didn't see the point in sheltering children. There was a need to equip them to face scenarios like this. School was a training ground for the future.

Chizuru didn't expect him to be that perceptive. "Because I knew I could handle the fight even if it got messy, but it doesn't mean it was the best course of action."

She placed her arms over Daichi's shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with defending your friends, but you need to ask us adults for help when it gets too tough, okay?"

Daichi nodded. It was the kind of nod a child gave even if he didn't agree or plan on following it.

"Are we clear with that, Daichi?" Chizuru took her handkerchief and wiped the dirt off the young boy's face.

"Yes." He replied with a tone of petulance that young boys had when they felt like their pride was being hurt.

Chizuru ruffled the boy's hair and placed the first aid kit back in Kyoya's medicine cabinet. Kyoya could sense the feelings of inadequacy his nephew had. At a young age, they were taught to handle things themselves. He was sure that Daichi appreciated their efforts, but the Ootori pride was something that was present even in that age.

"Do you want something to eat?" Kyoya gave his nephew a cold glass of water. He'd hope this would distract him.

"I'm fine." Daichi's eyes didn't leave the floor.

Kyoya felt like he was watching himself. From experience, he knew the best course of action was distraction. He decided make a sandwich for the three of them. He had a feeling his nephew was just acting shy about the whole situation. It wasn't like Daichi to be in situations like those. He's probably worried with how his grandfather would react.

"Are you fine with avocado toast?" Kyoya asked.

Chizuru sat down and placed her arm around Daichi. "I think you'd want some eggs with that, right?"

Daichi nodded. "Can I have poached eggs please?"

Kyoya smiled briefly. Daichi was definitely Yuuichi's son. His eldest brother was obsessed with poached eggs for some unknown reason. He didn't think the preference was genetic. The sound of the television with the afternoon cartoons was something he wasn't used to. He prepared their food while Chizuru started setting the table.

Daichi walked towards the kitchen. He watched the two adults getting ready for some snacks. He liked his uncle a lot. Even if his mother was dating that famous soccer player, he didn't think of the guy as his father. It was Kyoya who went out of his way to help him. Even Chizuru gave him a lot of time. He stood there silently and his mother taught him to always express his gratitude to those who help him.

"Thank you Kyoya-ojisama." It took all the courage in his system to say it out loud. He wasn't too good with showing his emotions, but he felt that he needed to say this. "Thank you for making me feel l have a father. I know you and Chizuru-neesan are busy, but you always take time off for me."

Those words were enough to melt through the walls Kyoya built. Chizuru looked at Kyoya and she knew those words meant more than the Japanese Prime Minister commending his work. For all the walls Kyoya placed, he valued simple things like this.

"It's nothing." Kyoya pushed his glasses up and placed the food on the table. "Food's ready."

Daichi wasn't sure why he felt tears forming in his eyes. He walked towards Chizuru and hugged her. They were the closest thing he saw as a regular family. He wasn't sure why they did these things for him, but he was just happy. He didn't see his mother that often because she was busy with her new husband. He didn't mind his mother remarrying, but he was already emotions that a mere child his age couldn't properly describe.

Chizuru sniffed and hugged the boy tightly. "We're always here for you, okay?"

* * *

It didn't take long for Daichi to fall asleep in Kyoya's bed. Chizuru left shortly after Daichi took a bath. It was just nine in the evening, but with today's turn of events that was more than enough energy drained for the boy. Kyoya made himself a cup of tea to clear his thoughts. He peered into the bedroom and made sure his nephew was still sleeping.

"Is he sleeping already?" Chizuru said as she entered the room with her hair wrapped around a towel.

Kyoya nodded. "That's too much attention for an Ootori."

Chizuru sat down on the opposite end of the sofa and watched the news as well. "That guy deserved it. I still remember the look on his face when it sank in that he was dealing with the Ootori family."

Kyoya raised a brow. He understood the power and influence his family had, but he never flaunted it unnecessarily. He was genuinely impressed with how Chizuru handled the situation. It wasn't his style, but it was effective, nonetheless.

"Why did you say you were his mother?" Kyoya asked. Genuinely amused with the entire situation earlier.

Chizuru sighed as she shrugged her shoulders. "I got a bit carried away. It seemed like the only reasonable relationship at that moment. He was calling me Ootori-san the entire time after you showed up though."

They had no plans of doing anything like ruining the man's business, but Kyoya decided to show his 'goodwill' by letting the issue slide. Let bygones be bygones. After all, there was nothing better than being owed a favor by the yakuza. Those people always kept their end of the bargain.

"If you really want to be part of the family, that can easily be arranged." Kyoya offered lightly.

Chizuru took the pillow and threw it at him. "Are you flirting with me?"

"Don't project your deep-seated wishes towards me. I was going to ask if you wished to be related by marriage or shall we formally adopt you? There are few possibilities with how we can make you an Ootori." Kyoya answered modestly.

Chizuru crossed her arms and scoffed. He was teasing her. "Excuse me, being an Ootori isn't all that glamorous."

"Tell that to all the women throwing themselves at me." Kyoya subtly gloated. His eyes were fixed on the screen showing the news feature of one their resorts.

They started laughing at the thought of it. It was a concept that not a lot of women understood. Being an Ootori wife wasn't as easy as it sounds. There were plenty of expectations on their part as well. It may have briefly crossed Chizuru's mind, but she knew she wasn't made to do those requirements.

"To be fair though, you are technically the face of the Ootori Group after your father." Chizuru mentioned. "I really think he's going to pass the position of chairman to you."

"It's best not to assume things." Kyoya placed down his cup of tea. "I still have a lot to work on until I prove myself worthy for the position."

Chizuru was about to tease him about being celibate since he didn't engage in much physical contact with most of the women he's dated. Her light mood suddenly turned into concern when she saw the box of sleeping pills on the table. "You started taking those again?"

Kyoya nodded slowly. He was hiding it from her since he got off it a few years ago, but he found himself back at square one. His sleeping habits weren't the best. He either fell asleep at the wrong time or he stayed awake for days. It usually depended on the amount of pressure he felt.

"Why didn't you tell me you were having a hard time sleeping? Are you having nightmares again?"

"It's fine. It's still manageable." Kyoya dismissed. There was no need for her to worry.

The first time he got this episode was when Haruhi and Tamaki got married. The second time was when Chizuru was close to getting engaged, but it normalized after a few months when the union didn't materialize. He refused to acknowledge the negative emotions he felt, and it manifested in terrible sleeping habits.

Chizuru knew how terrible these episodes were. Kyoya never talked about it with anyone. She only realized he had insomnia when Kyoya passed out years ago because of exhaustion. Without him saying anything, she knew how his mind worked. It never stopped until it found the perfect or rational solution.

He turned his head towards her direction when he heard her sniffling. "What's the matter with you?"

"How long have you been taking sleeping pills?"

"One week."

Kyoya suddenly froze when he felt Chizuru wrap her arms around him. She was sobbing the whole time. He was never accustomed to physical touch and preferred to keep his distance, but he was too shocked to say anything.

"You're being stupid again." Chizuru was scared that Kyoya might pass out again. His last episode of insomnia was so bad that she found him passed out in the middle of the living room. She thought something worse happened.

"What's this…" Kyoya knew that Chizuru was very touchy for Japanese standards. She was quite western in that sense. She was comfortable with hugging other people or holding hands in public. It was the opposite of what he was used to.

Chizuru hugged him tightly. "If you're going through something again, you promised to tell me."

He rarely let her hug him like this, but he'd made an exception just for today. He understood her sentiments. No words had to be said. If there was someone who looked after his wellbeing, it was Chizuru.

"It'll get better soon." Kyoya reassured. He knew his words wouldn't be enough for now, but he still said it.

Considering the uncompromising front Chizuru displayed in front of others, no one would think she was this emotional. She was usually docile and levelheaded when others were around. She naturally got herself involved in his affairs without being too overbearing. She didn't try to dissect all the layers and walls he kept and accepted things as is. She was also one of the few people he could open up to.

He found himself showing all the layers he had naturally. From his polite façade to his belligerent and petty nature that he kept hidden from most individuals.

The peaceful moment was ruined with Tamaki's personal ringtone blasting from Kyoya's phone. Chizuru composed herself once again and sat on the opposite end of the couch.

"What do you want?" Kyoya answered without any polite greeting. He stood up and went to the balcony to continue their conversation.

While Tamaki and Kyoya were talking about something mundane, Chizuru suddenly felt irritated. She saw a gaming console hidden. How dare Kyoya deceive her like that? The two most competitive people in the Host Club was Kyoya and Hikaru. Nothing fueled them like competition. They both hated losing.

Why did Kyoya work hard to be at the top of his class? He always wanted to be the best and he wouldn't forgive himself for coming second to an idiot like Tamaki. Why did he compete with the Zuka Club? Because he wanted to go against a much older system with something as controversial as a host club. Why did he aim for being the next chairman? Because it was the highest position in the conglomerate.

Everything was rooted from his competitive naturel

"That idiot." Chizuru clenched her fists.

At least, the sleeping pills weren't related to an emotional issue now, but her pride was scarred. This was the new PlayStation with the new game that Hikaru was raving about a few weeks ago. It seems like Kyoya deliberately hid this from everyone. It was a plot twist Kyoya didn't ask for, but he never thought playing video games was therapeutic when he felt like punching someone or when he was too frustrated with work. The sleeping pills were there to keep him from drowning himself from competition, so he still had some sleep before going to work.

"Tamaki's having a dinner party next…." Kyoya sensed the hostility in the room.

"Kyoya…" Chizuru interrupted. She didn't approve the unwarranted administration of sleeping pills. "Are you taking sleeping pills because of video games?"

"I'm not a child."

"You're not answering my question." Chizuru's glare was unwavering. "Hey, is that why Hikaru got drunk? I saw the videos. He was angry because he was part of the team that developed this new game, but someone beat his high score."

"I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about." Kyoya avoided the topic.

"If I see you taking sleeping pills for some video game, I'll tell everyone your secret." Chizuru threatened. She didn't have a lot of cards to play, but she had a few powerful tools at her disposal. "I'll tell everyone about _that_ incident."

Kyoya's lips were pressed into a fine line. He couldn't let that leak out to the public. "If we find a compromise in this situation…"

"Just use melatonin tablets like everyone else." Chizuru exclaimed. She took the bottle of sleeping pills and read the label. These were pretty strong and highly addictive. The last thing she needed was for Kyoya to develop a tolerance or dependency with these kinds of medication. "I got worried for nothing because of that stupid game."

He wanted to tease her a bit more, but he controlled himself. He did say that it was nothing serious. Her mind already conjured all sorts of reasons behind his sleeping pills. He would never tell her why he just let her hug him like that. It was selfish on his end, but he was just human like everyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!
> 
> Sorry for the late update. Hopefully the fluff and feelings will keep everyone entertained for now. Thank you for the feedback once again. I can see all the lurkers who read the chapters several times and I'm quite surprised. I appreciate everything.
> 
> So for some good personal news, I have a job again, but it means I won't be able to update as often. Sorry about that. I hope this chapter will sustain you until I get some routine back into my life.
> 
> Also, the place where Hikaru got drunk is an actual location. If you're curious just look it up.
> 
> Medical terms:
> 
> Melatonin - those vitamins they sell in the pharmacy to help with sleeping.
> 
> Contraceptives - things that won't get you pregnant.


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